Gamma and Cosmic Ray Astrophysics

Code 7650 - Naval Research Laboratory,
Washington D.C.
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Related links: OSSE was launched on NASA's COMPTON Gamma Ray Observatory in April, 1991. This 35,000 pound satelite is the most advanced mission to undertake scientific observations in high energy astrophysics. The four instruments on GRO cover the broad gamma ray spectral band from 20 keV to 20 GeV -- six orders of magnitude. The observatory provides continuous coverage of the most energetic phenomena in nature, and can respond to targets of opportunity such as new supernovae or major solar flare activity. The mission has continued to provide high quality data since its launch nearly three years ago, and it is expected to continue for at least another three to five years.

OSSE consists of four identical scintillation detector systems. Each 850 pound detector has an active anticoincidence shield and a passive tungsten collimator which defines a 3.8 x 11.4 degree field of view. Each detector has a single axis pointing system which permits the detector to move through an angular range of 192 degrees. This motion is used primarily to offset the OSSE detectors between source and nearby background regions for the purpose of background subtraction in the low signal to background environment. The OSSE detectors cover the energy range from 50 keV to 10 MeV, the important energy range where most nuclear processes which produce gamma ray line spectral features occur. Detection of gamma rays and neutrons above 10 MeV is also provided for the purpose of studying energetic solar flare phenomena.

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Last revised: 25 Aug 1997