GCN Circular 42049
Subject
GRB 251001C: Glowbug gamma-ray detection
Event
Date
2025-10-02T01:49:29Z (a month ago)
From
C.C. Cheung at Naval Research Lab <Teddy.Cheung@nrl.navy.mil>
Via
Web form
C.C. Cheung, R. Woolf, M. Kerr, J.E. Grove (NRL), A. Goldstein (USRA), C.A. Wilson-Hodge, D. Kocevski (MSFC), and M.S. Briggs (UAH) report:
The Glowbug gamma-ray telescope [1,2,3], operating on the International Space Station, reports the detection of GRB 251001C, which was also detected by CALET (Trigger 1443366004).
Using an adaptive window with a resolution of 32-ms, the burst onset is determined to be 2025-10-01 15:07:24.688 with a duration of 11.0 s and a total significance of about 27.2 sigma. The light curve comprises a bright peak at ~T0+1s followed a faint peak at ~T0+7s.
The best-fit localization is RA, Decl. (J2000, deg) = 82.7, 21.9 with a radius of 10.0 deg (95% confidence), with a highly uncertain systematic uncertainty.
The analysis results presented here are preliminary and use a response function that lacks a detailed characterization of the surrounding passive structure of the ISS.
Glowbug is a NASA-funded technology demonstrator for sensitive, low-cost gamma-ray transient telescopes developed, built, and operated by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) with support from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, USRA, and NASA MSFC. It was launched on 2023 March 15 aboard the Department of Defense Space Test Program’s STP-H9 to the ISS, and operated until 2024 April when it was put in safe storage on orbit. Glowbug was recently removed from storage and resumed operation on 2025 September 12.
[1] Grove, J.E. et al. 2020, Proc. Yamada Conf. LXXI, arXiv:2009.11959
[2] Woolf, R.S. et al. 2022, Proc. SPIE, 12181, id. 121811O
[3] Woolf, R.S. et al. 2024, Proc. SPIE, 13151, id. 1315108
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