GCN Circular 7237

A. Copete, J. Grindlay, B. Allen, J. Hong (Harvard)
S. Barthelmy, C. Markwardt, N. Gehrels (GSFC)

We report the independent detection of early afterglow (or post prompt- 
emission flaring) emission from the short GRB 080123 (GCN#7203). The  
BATSS pipeline processed the BAT data from the initial automatic slew  
to the burst, which started at 04:22:09 UT (T+12sec), and was  
completed within 5 hours of the BAT trigger. A 6.2-sigma image
detection (from stacked 0.2sec slew images throughout the 68sec slew)  
in the 15-50 keV energy band yielded a position of:
  RA(J2000) = 22h 35m 08s
  Dec(J2000) = -64d 57' 24"
with an uncertainty of 6 arcmin (90% confidence radius), consistent  
with the XRT reported position of GRB080123 (GCN# 7208). Preliminary  
lightcurve analysis shows the BATSS image detection is due to an  
inital ~4sec duration flare at T+20, followed by two possible broader  
(~10-15sec) peaks at T+49 and T+72. The total estimated fluence is  
2.1E-7 erg/cm2  (15-50keV; derived for a PL model with photon index 2)  
over the 68.8sec duration of the slew. This fluence is a factor of  
0.36 times that reported in the 15-150keV band (GCN Report 111.1) for T 
+0.3 to T+122.2 and is likely dominated by the soft flare emission  
after the prompt hard emission of the short GRB.

BATSS pipeline processing is in the final stages of development  
following our first preliminary tests, which discovered GRB070326  
(GCN# 6653). Full BATSS results will begin to be available soon from a  
website
to be announced.