BATSE Sky Exposure

Abstract

Angular sky exposure is presented for a number of published BATSE gamma-ray burst catalogs. A new algorithm was required due to telemetry gaps resulting from onboard tape recorder failures; the new algorithm improves the 1B Catalog exposure calculation. The most influential effects limiting BATSE's exposure are (1) deadtime due to triggering, (2) sky blockage by the Earth, and (3) trigger disabling when the spacecraft is in the SAA and over other specific Earth locations. Exposure has improved during the CGRO mission as a result of decreased Solar flares and magnetospheric particle events.