nterPlanetary Network

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Not to be confused with Interplanetary Transport Network.

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The InterPlanetary Network (IPN) is a group of spacecraft equipped with gamma ray

burst (GRB) detectors. By timing the arrival of a burst at several spacecraft, its precise
location can be found. The precision for determining the direction of a GRB in the sky is
improved by increasing the spacing of the detectors, and also by more accurate timing
of the reception. Typical spacecraft baselines of about one AU (astronomical unit) and
time resolutions of tens of milliseconds can determine a burst location within several
arcminutes, allowing follow-up observations with other telescopes.

Contents

 1Rationale

 2Iterations of the IPN

o 2.1A "planetary network"

o 2.2Further missions

o 2.3The first true IPN

o 2.4The second IPN

o 2.5The "third" IPN

o 2.6"Additional" IPNs

 3The 21st century: staring spacecraft

 4Current IPN developments

 5See also
 6References

 7External links

Rationale[edit]
Gamma rays are too energetic to be focused with mirrors. The rays penetrate mirror
materials instead of reflecting. Because gamma rays cannot be focused into an image
in the traditional sense, a unique location for a gamma ray source cannot be determined
as it is done with less energetic light.
In addition, gamma ray bursts are brief flashes (often as little as 0.2 seconds) that occur
randomly across the sky. Some forms of gamma ray telescope can generate an image,
but they require longer integration times, and cover only a fraction of the sky.
Once three spacecraft detect a GRB, their timings are sent to the ground for correlation.
A sky position is derived, and distributed to the astronomical community for follow-up
observations with optical, radio, or spaceborne telescopes.

Iterations of the IPN[edit]

Note that, since any IPN must consist of several spacecraft, the boundaries between
networks are defined differently by different commentators. [citation needed]
Spacecraft naturally join or leave service as their missions unfold, and some modern
spacecraft are far more capable than prior IPN members. [citation needed]
A "planetary network"[edit]
The Vela group of satellites was originally designed to detect covert nuclear tests,
possibly at the Moon's altitude. Thus, the Velas were placed in high orbits, so that a
time delay would occur between spacecraft triggers. In addition, each satellite had
multiple gamma-ray detectors across their structures; the detectors facing a blast would
register a higher gamma count than the detectors facing away.
A gamma-ray burst was detected by the Vela group on June 3, 1969, and thus referred
to as GRB 690603. The location was determined to be clearly outside of the satellites'
orbit, and probably outside of the Solar system. After reviewing archived Vela data, a
previous burst was determined to have occurred on July 2, 1967. Public reports of initial
GRBs were not disclosed until the early 1970s.
Further missions[edit]
Additional spacecraft were given gamma-ray detectors. The Apollo 15 and 16 missions
carried detectors to study the Moon; middle-to-late Venera spacecraft carried detectors
to Venus. The relatively long baselines of these missions again showed that bursts
originated at great distances. Other spacecraft (such as the OGO, OSO, and IMP
series) had detectors for Earth, Solar, or all-sky gamma radiation, and also confirmed
the GRB phenomenon.
The first true IPN[edit]
Scientists began to tailor instruments specifically for GRBs. The Helios-2 spacecraft
carried a detector with precision time resolution to a Solar orbit that took it over one AU
from Earth. Helios-2 was launched in 1976.
In 1978, multiple spacecraft were launched, forming the necessary baselines for a
position determination. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter and its Soviet counterparts, Venera
11 and 12, took gamma detectors to the orbit of Venus. In addition, the spacecraft
Prognoz-7 and ISEE-3 remained in Earth orbit. These formed an Earth-Venus-Sun
triangle, and the probes at Venus formed a smaller triangle. 84 bursts were detected,
until the network degraded in 1980. The Pioneer Venus Orbiter continued until it entered
the Venus atmosphere in 1992, but not enough other spacecraft were functioning to
form the required baselines.
On March 5 and 6, 1979, two bursts of hard X-rays were detected from the same source
in the constellation Dorado by the γ-ray burst detector Konus, on the Venera
11 and Venera 12 spacecraft.[1] These X-ray bursts were detected by several other
spacecraft.[1] As part of the InterPlanetary Network (IPN), [2] Venera 11, Venera 12 were
hit by the March 5, 1979, hard X-ray burst at ~10:51 EST, followed 11 s later by Helios
2 in orbit around the Sun, then the Pioneer Venus Orbiter at Venus. Seconds later
the Vela satellites, Prognoz 7, and the Einstein Observatory in orbit around Earth were
inundated. The last satellite hit was the ISEE-3 before the burst exited the Solar
System.
The second IPN[edit]
Pioneer Venus Orbiter was rejoined by Ulysses in 1990. The launch of the Compton
Gamma-Ray Observatory in 1991 again formed triangular baselines with PVO and
Ulysses. Ulysses continued until June 2009, and the PVO mission ended in August
1992.[citation needed]
Compton once again brought directional discrimination with the BATSE instrument. Like
the Velas, BATSE placed detectors at the spacecraft corners. Thus, Compton alone
could determine a coarse burst location, to within 1.6 to 4 degrees. Baselines with other
spacecraft were then used to sharpen Compton's position solutions. In addition, almost
half the sky from Compton was blocked by the Earth, just as Venus blocked part of the
sky for PVO. Detection or non-detection by Compton or PVO added another element to
the location algorithms.[citation needed]
Compton also had high-precision, low-field-of-view gamma instruments. Occasionally,
GRBs would occur where Compton happened to be pointing. The use of multiple,
sensitive instruments would provide much more accuracy than BATSE alone. [citation needed]
The "third" IPN[edit]
Compton and Ulysses were joined briefly by Mars Observer in late 1992, before that
spacecraft failed. Some feel that Compton provided sufficient continuity, and that the
distinction between 2nd, 3rd, and subsequent IPNs is semantic. [citation needed]
"Additional" IPNs[edit]
Compton and Ulysses were joined by Wind in 1994. Although Wind was in Earth orbit,
like Compton, its altitude was very high, thus forming a short but usable baseline. The
high altitude also meant that Earth blockage was negligible. In addition, Wind carried a
top and bottom detector. Interpolation between the two units usually gave a general sky
direction for bursts, which in many cases could augment the IPN algorithm. The addition
of RXTE in 1995 also helped. Although RXTE was an X-ray mission in Earth orbit, it
could detect those gamma-ray bursts which also shone in X-rays, and give a direction
(rather than merely a time trigger) for them.
Two important developments occurred in 1996. NEAR was launched; its trajectory to an
asteroid again formed a triangular IPN measured in AUs. The IPN was also joined
by BeppoSAX. BeppoSAX had wide-field gamma detectors, and narrow-field X-ray
telescopes. Once a GRB was detected, operators could spin the spacecraft within hours
to point the X-ray telescopes at the coarse location. The X-ray afterglow would then give
a fine location. In 1997, the first fine location allowed detailed study of a GRB and its
environ.
Compton was deorbited in 2000; the NEAR mission was shut down in early 2001. In late
2001, the Mars Odyssey spacecraft again formed an interplanetary triangle.
Other members of the network include or have included the Indian SROSS-
C2 spacecraft, the US Air Force's Defense Meteorological Satellites, the
Japanese Yohkoh spacecraft, and the Chinese SZ-2 mission. These have all been
Earth orbiters, and the Chinese and Indian detectors were operational for only a few
months.
Of all the above, Ulysses is the only spacecraft whose orbit takes it large distances
away from the ecliptic plane. These deviations from the ecliptic plane allow more
precise 3-D measurements of the apparent positions of the GRBs.

The 21st century: staring spacecraft[edit]

New techniques and designs in high-energy astronomy spacecraft are challenging the
traditional operation of the IPN. Because distant probes require sensitive ground
antennas for communication, they introduce a time lag into GRB studies. Large ground
antennas must split time between spacecraft, rather than listen continuously for GRB
notifications. Typically, GRB coordinates determined by deep space probes are
distributed many hours to a day or two after the GRB. This is very frustrating for studies
of events which are measured in seconds.
A new generation of spacecraft are designed to produce GRB locations on board, then
relay them to the ground within minutes or even seconds. These positions are based
not on time correlation, but on X-ray telescopes, as on BeppoSAX but much
faster. HETE-2, launched in 2000, stares at a large region of sky. Should a GRB trigger
the gamma detectors, X-ray masks report sky coordinates to ground stations. Because
HETE is in a low, consistent orbit, it can use many inexpensive ground stations. There
is almost always a ground station in view of the spacecraft, which reduces latency to
seconds.
The Swift spacecraft, launched in 2004, is similar in operation but much more powerful.
When a GRB triggers the gamma detectors, generating a crude position, the spacecraft
spins relatively rapidly to use its focusing X-ray and optical telescopes. These refine the
GRB location to within arcminutes, and often within arcseconds. The fine position is
reported to the ground in approximately an hour. [citation needed]
INTEGRAL is a successor to Compton. INTEGRAL can similarly determine a coarse
position by comparing gamma counts from one side to another. It also possesses a
gamma-ray telescope with an ability to determine positions to under a degree.
INTEGRAL cannot pivot rapidly like the small HETE and Swift spacecraft. But should a
burst happen to occur in its telescope field of view, its position and characteristics can
be recorded with high precision.[citation needed]
RHESSI was launched in 2002 to perform solar studies. However, its gamma
instrument could detect bright gamma sources from other regions of the sky, and
produce coarse positions through differential detectors. Occasionally, a GRB would
appear next to the Sun, and the RHESSI instrument would determine its properties
without IPN assistance.
Note however, that all these spacecraft suffer from Earth blockage to varying degrees.
[citation needed]
 Also, the more sophisticated the "staring" instrument, the lower the sky
coverage. Randomly occurring GRBs are more likely to be missed, or detected at low
resolution only. The use of non-directional deep space probes, such
as MESSENGER and BepiColombo, will continue.

Current IPN developments[edit]

In 2007 AGILE was launched and in 2008 the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and
although these are Earth orbiters, their instruments provide directional discrimination.
The Fermi Space Telescope uses both wide-area burst detectors and a narrow-angle
telescope, and has a limited ability to spin itself to place a GRB within the telescope
field. MESSENGER's Gamma Ray Neutron Spectrometer[3] was able to add data to the
IPN, before the end of MESSENGER's mission in 2015. [4] Due to falling power from
its RTG, Ulysses was decommissioned on June 30, 2009.

See also[edit]
 Gamma-ray Burst Coordinates Network

References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:a b Mazets EP, Golenetskii SV, Il'inskii VN, Aptekar' RL, Guryan YA (December
1979). "Observations of a flaring X-ray pulsar in Dorado". Nature. 282 (5739): 587–
9. Bibcode:1979Natur.282..587M. doi:10.1038/282587a0.
2. ^ Morgan M.  "InterPlanetary Network Progress Report".
3. ^ Talbert, Tricia (2015-04-15).  "Spacecraft and Instruments". NASA. Retrieved  2018-04-01.
 4. ^ Hurley, K.; et al. (2013). "The Interplanetary Network Supplement to the Fermi GBM
Catalog of Cosmic Gamma-Ray Bursts".  The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series.  207  (2):
39.  arXiv:1301.3522.  doi:10.1088/0067-0049/207/2/39.

External links[edit]
 IPN Progress Report A Quarterly Refereed Journal
 IPN Status report IPN status as of September 24, 2007.
Categories: 
 Proposed spacecraft
 Gamma-ray astronomy
 Gamma-ray bursts