MIRAX sensitivity for Gamma Ray Bursts

Abstract

In this work we present the detection capability of the MIRAX (Monitor e Imageador de RAios-X) experiment for Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). MIRAX is an X-ray astronomy mission designed to perform a wide band hard X-ray (10–200 keV) survey of the sky, especially in the Galactic plane. With a total detection area of 169 cm2, large field of view (FoV, 20°×20°), angular resolution of 1°45′ and good spectral and time resolution (∼8% at 60 keV, 10 μs), MIRAX will be optimized for the detection and study of transient sources, such as accreting neutron stars (NS), black holes (BH), Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs), and both short and long GRBs. This is especially important because MIRAX is expected to operate in an epoch when probably no other hard X-ray wide-field imager will be active. We have performed detailed simulations of MIRAX GRB observations using the GEANT4 package, including the background spectrum and images of GRB sources in order to provide accurate predictions of the sensitivity for the expected GRB rate to be observed. MIRAX will be capable of detecting ∼44 GRBs per year up to redshifts of ∼4.5. The MIRAX mission will be able to contribute significantly to GRB science by detecting a large number of GRBs per year with wide band spectral response. The observations will contribute mainly to the part of GRB spectra where a thermal emission is predicted by the Fireball model. We also discuss the possibility of detecting GRB afterglows in the X-ray band with MIRAX.