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D. A. Smith, C. Akerlof, T. A. McKay, E. S. Rykoff (University of Michigan), F. Aharonian (MPIK Heidelberg), M. C. B. Ashley (UNSW), S. Barthelmy (NASA/GSFC), D. Bizyaev (UTEP), D. Casperson (LANL), N. Gehrels (NASA/GSFC), T. Guver (IU, Istanbul), E. Gogus (SU, Istanbul), D. Horns (MPIK Heidelberg), U. Kiziloglu (METU, Ankara), H. Krimm (NASA/GSFC), M. E. Ozel (COMU, Canakkale), A. Phillips (UNSW), R. Quimby (UTA), B. Schaefer (LSU), W. T. Vestrand (LANL), J. C. Wheeler (UTA), J. Wren (LANL)
We report on recent results obtained with the world-wide ROTSE-III network and plans for the near future. Instruments are now functioning at Siding Spring Observatory in Australia, McDonald Observatory in Texas, the H.E.S.S. facility in Namibia, and Tubitak National Observatory in Turkey. The rapid-slew ROTSE-III mounts are consistently achieving accurate targeting within ten seconds of the transmission of an alert, and images are reaching limiting magnitudes of 19-20 in 60 s exposures. Contrary to theoretical expectation, we have found two bursts that fail to show the prompt optical signal expected from the reverse shock mechanism. To study these phenomena in greater detail, we are planning to augment the ROTSE-III telescopes to obtain information about GRB spectral evolution on short time scales. Similar modifications are already being incoporated in the AEOS Burst Camera on Haleakela, Maui.
If you would like more information about this abstract, please follow the link to http://www.rotse.net. This link was provided by the author. When you follow it, you will leave the Web site for this meeting; to return, you should use the Back comand on your browser.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: donaldas@umich.edu
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 #3
© 2004. The American Astronomical Soceity.