Gamma Ray Bursts and X-Ray Flares Detected!

[Antiprotons]

Hello,

This is Tom from Anti-Proton.com
I have found a new and fun thing to do with the Gamma Spectacular (as well as the rest of the equipment): The detection of cosmic phenomena, such as Gamma Ray Bursts, X-Ray Flares, Coronal Mass Ejections, and more.

Please see the pictures for a better visual explanation.

Gamma Ray Burst GCN 17949
*** UPDATE ***
I just received a reply from NASA about this GRB and I was told that the likelihood that I had detected it was very low. This does not mean I did not, but it casts doubt upon this detection. Perhaps I detected a cosmic ray or other such event at the same time? It is not impossible that this was a valid detection, but I will likely never know, given my equipment.
*************

This morning around 9:28:26 AM Eastern Date Time, the NASA SWIFT space craft's Burst Alert Telescope detected a GRB from the V404 Cygni binary star systems (this system has a black hole and either a later G or early K start [thanks Wikipedia]). The black hole is slowly consuming the gas from the companion star. X-rays and occasional GRB's are emitted. SWIFT quickly slewed to the location and started recording data...

Somewhere in a closest on the East Coast of the USA, someone else was watching too lol

My x-ray detector started logging spikes (10 second bin counts) exceeding 2σ [my arbitrary point of interest]. 124 seconds after the original BAT trigger, SWIFT noted a climb in x-ray flux in the 15 keV to 350 keV range. My UCS30 was in 300 second batch spectrum mode and producing a new spectrum from 124 keV to 5.5 MeV. I examined the spectrum for that time period and I found a peak around ~282 keV. Using a 95% two tailed confidence, I detected 28.3343786561 counts within the peak area above the expected background.

Now, the GRB occurred below my horizon, so I suspect these were secondary x-rays from higher energy reactions, as well as attenuated photons from the x-ray afterglow (this occurred 124 seconds into the GRB, which is about right for this).


What does this mean for spectroscopy? Well, I have a peak which my system says is a valid gamma ray detection but likely came from space. It means that we need lots of lead to keep our tests clean! :)

[broken link removed - Steven]

X-Ray Flare from Sun

Starting at 4:53 AM ETD on 6/20 my x-ray detector started logging x-ray counts above background. The greatest single bin peak was σ5.5893771396, which is a valid detection by nearly anyone's standards.


Event Start End Duration Max Sigma
Peak 1 4:53am 5:07:20AM 14:20 8.2CPS 5.5893771396 Max at 5:04:50 am
Peak 2 5:16am 5:18:10AM 2:10 7.3CPS 4.4363646686 Unknown
range 1 5:22am 5:50:10AM 28:10 7.7CPS 4.9488146557 Unknown

And then I lost power!!! Yes, my house lost power for a brief moment. The UCS30 and my entire gamma spectrum were shut off. My laptop continued recording the x-ray and Geiger counter readings, luckily. I may have had a nice gamma detection, but I will never know.

Luckily, my GS1100A runs off of the laptop and not the power (I need an UPS). Thanks GS!!!

Correlating the x-rays with the Geiger counter, I found this:

Date/time Count (x-x̄)/σ
6/20/2015 12:53:39 AM 25 -0.1202088536
6/20/2015 12:54:39 AM 23 -0.5115865163
6/20/2015 12:55:39 AM 29 0.6625464719
6/20/2015 12:56:39 AM 32 1.2496129661 peak 1
6/20/2015 12:57:39 AM 27 0.2711688092
6/20/2015 12:58:39 AM 28 0.4668576406
6/20/2015 12:59:39 AM 38 2.4237459543
6/20/2015 1:00:39 AM 22 -0.7072753477
6/20/2015 1:01:39 AM 22 -0.7072753477
6/20/2015 1:02:39 AM 31 1.0539241347
6/20/2015 1:03:39 AM 33 1.4453017974
6/20/2015 1:04:39 AM 24 -0.3158976849
6/20/2015 1:05:39 AM 39 2.6194347857 Max reading from x-rays was1:04:50 am EDT
6/20/2015 1:06:39 AM 25 -0.1202088536
6/20/2015 1:07:39 AM 22 -0.7072753477
6/20/2015 1:08:39 AM 24 -0.3158976849
6/20/2015 1:09:39 AM 20 -1.0986530104

Date/time Count (x-x̄)/σ
6/20/2015 1:23:40 AM 27 0.2711688092
6/20/2015 1:24:40 AM 24 -0.3158976849
6/20/2015 1:25:40 AM 29 0.6625464719
6/20/2015 1:26:40 AM 17 -1.6857195046
6/20/2015 1:27:40 AM 31 1.0539241347
6/20/2015 1:28:40 AM 38 2.4237459543
6/20/2015 1:29:40 AM 34 1.6409906288 These occur during Range 1
6/20/2015 1:30:40 AM 31 1.0539241347
6/20/2015 1:31:40 AM 33 1.4453017974
6/20/2015 1:32:40 AM 32 1.2496129661
6/20/2015 1:33:40 AM 27 0.2711688092
6/20/2015 1:34:40 AM 31 1.0539241347
6/20/2015 1:35:40 AM 26 0.0754799778
6/20/2015 1:36:40 AM 26 0.0754799778
6/20/2015 1:37:40 AM 17 -1.6857195046
6/20/2015 1:38:40 AM 21 -0.9029641791

[broken link removed]



Equipment Used (In case you wanted to know)

Detectors:

Gamma Rays: Sodium Iodide Thallium Doped Probe
NaI(Tl) 38.1mm x 38.1mm Cuylindrical (Radiation Sensors SDA38, 10 stage PMT)
Spectrum Techniques UCS30 1024 Channel MCA
Configuration:
Multi Channel Scaling mode.
60s Dwell Time, Fine Gain 1, Coarse Gain 1, 650v+
124 keV - 5.5 MeV
Batch Spectrum mode.
300s Run Time, 1 Sec Delay, Fine Gain 1, Coarse Gain 1, 650v+
124 keV - 5.5 MeV

X-Rays: Cesium Iodide Thallium Doped Probe
CsI(Tl) SE International RAP47 X-Ray Probe (25.4mm x 25.4mm)
Gamma Spectacular GS1100A Voltage Driver
PRA 8.0 Software MCA
Configuation:
Multi Channel Scaling mode.
10s Dwell Time, Volume 100, Boost 20dB, 800v+
8 keV - 140 keV

Catch All Geiger Counter:
SE International Inspector USB
LND7317 "Pancake" Geiger Muller probe
5 keV - greater than 5 MeV

[Sesselmann]

Hi Tom,

Welcome to the forum, for most people you don't need an introduction, but for those who don't already know you, please introduce yourself in the appropriate forum.

I have also at times been playing around to see if I could see any correlation between soar activity and activity here on the ground. At one stage I saw quite a nice correlation between neutron BG and one of the live solar flare detectors online, but the correlation didn't last.

Detecting gamma ray bursts from Cygnus X1 on the ground sounds somewhat more ambitious but I couldn't say if it is feasible.

Keep us posted if you find some more cool correlations.

[Antiprotons]

Hello!

Sorry, I had not made an intro post (I have now done so).

I have gotten my best space readings from the GS1100A with an RAP47 thin crystal x-ray probe. I believe I am detecting the secondary x-rays from particles hitting the atmosphere. The x-ray flares I saw yesterday were over 4 sigma form the mean, so I know those were real (they match NASA's GEOS data), but the V404 Cyg GRB was a stretch.

I did make a good observation of something during the exact time of the GRB, but it would be difficult. The guy I spoke with at NASA did not say it was impossible, given my setup... but he said it was unlikely. That's why I added my disclaimer:
*** UPDATE ***
I just received a reply from NASA about this GRB and I was told that the likelihood that I had detected it was very low. This does not mean I did not, but it casts doubt upon this detection. Perhaps I detected a cosmic ray or other such event at the same time? It is not impossible that this was a valid detection, but I will likely never know, given my equipment.
*************

Here is the link to my posts with data:
[broken links removed - Steven]

[Sesselmann]

Tom, given your setup is relatively straight forward, it should be easy for someone else to confirm and repeat what you are seeing. It's a basic rule of science, if others can repeat it and see the same increase in counts at the same time, then it's confirmed.

Was there anything special about your setup other than an x-ray scintillator counting pulses?

[Antiprotons]

Not a thing. I am working on a video on how I am doing it which will show my setup, and feature the GS.
I totally agree about the repeatability and I hope others will try too. I am quite confident of the x-ray flares as my readings jump between 3σ and 5σ exactly when NASA logs the x-ray flares, but the GRB is the bit I cannot be sure of... on one hand I have good data that correlates with a real GRB, but on the other hand there is the problem of atmosphere and equipment sensitivity.

I'll let you know when the video is ready... perhaps later this week.

My exact configuration is:

I placed the detectors facing up (they are fairly isotropic (aside from the PMT covered parts)). They are attached to my wall about 1m off the floor in my upper house level, which is ~9m above the ground and about ~70m above sea level. I live on a hill, too.

SDA38 38.1mm cylindrical NaI(Tl) w/ 10stage PMT.
Spectrum Techniques UCS30 1024 Channel MCA
Configuration:
Batch Spectrum mode
~124 keV – ~5.5 MeV
300s Run Time, 1 Sec Delay, Fine Gain 1, Coarse Gain 1, 650v+

CsI(Tl) SE International RAP47 X-Ray Probe (25.4mm x 1mm)
Gamma Spectacular GS1100A Voltage Driver
PRA 8.0 Software MCA
Configuation:
Multi Channel Scaling mode.
10s Dwell Time, Volume 100, Boost 20dB, 800v+
~8 keV – ~140 keV

Catch All Geiger Counter:
SE International Inspector USB
LND7317 “Pancake” Geiger Muller probe
5 keV – greater than 5 MeV
Sitting in window of same floor about ~2m away from detectors. LND7317 GM probe with window closed pointed horizontally. White paper plate between glass and detector to block light.


My triggers are:

σ2 Possible hit
σ3 Probable hit.

Math for peak detection:

[pietkuip]

In particle physics, many promising 3-sigma results have turned out to be nothing more than statistical fluctuations. Good journals now require 5σ. But such evidence would not be good enough for a nobel prize.

[Antiprotons]

Keep in mind that these events are already recorded by NASA, so I am merely observing them too. I correlate a 3σ+ event against NASA's SWIFT and GEOS, which gives me additional correlation. If I were detecting them by myself, than I would need much better than 3σ.

My most recent solar x-ray flare was σ5.5893771396, which I believe is plenty good enough when also correlated with GEOS.

But in the end, this is more akin to me setting up a telescope and observing mars (neat and fun, but not new to science).