The Messenger 113
September 2003

The Gamma-Ray Burst Hunt at La Silla the TAROT-S Very Fast Moving Telescope

M. Boer[1], A. Klotz[1], J.-L. Atteia[2], G. Buchholtz[3], F. Daigne[4], J. Eysseric[3], P. Goldoni[5], P. Jean[1], A. Lecavelier des Etangs[4], M. Lopez[3], R. Malina[6], A. Marcowith[1], J.B. Marquette[4], A. Mayet[7], F. Mirabel[5], R. Mochkovitch[4], J. Pacheco[8], L. Pares[2], J. Paul[5], H. Pedersen[9], H. Pinna[7], J.-P. Sivan[10]

[1] Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements (CNRS/OMP), Toulouse, France;
[2] Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Toulouse (CNRS/ UPS/OMP), France;
[3] INSU/CNRS Division Technique, Meudon, France;
[4] Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (CNRS/UPMC), France;
[5] CEA, Service d'Astrophysique, France;
[6] Laboratoire d'Astronomie de Marseille (CNRS/UAMI/OAMP), France;
[7] Centre d'Elaboration des Matriaux et d'Etudes Structurales, Toulouse, France;
[8] Observatoire de la Cte d'Azur, Nice, France;
[9] Copenhagen University Observatory, Denmark;
[10] Observatoire de Haute Provence (OAMP/CNRS), France.

Abstract The study of cosmic Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) is an important challenge for the understa nding of the formation of black holes and for the star formation and evolution in the early universe. GRBs are also an invaluable cosmological probe. ESO has agreed to inst all a set of robotic telescopes at La Silla, TAROT-S and REM (Chincarini et al., see p age 40). TAROT-South is a very fast moving (1s) optical robotic observatory able to ob serve from the beginning of the explosion. The spacecraft fleet detecting GRBs will se nd timely signals to TAROT, which in turn will be able to give a sub-arc second positi on to the community. The data from TAROT-S will also be useful to study the evolution of GRBs, the physics of the fireball and of the surrounding material.

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The Messenger 113September 2003

The Gamma-Ray Burst Hunt at La Silla the TAROT-S Very Fast Moving Telescope

The Messenger 113
September 2003