The Data Flow

The automatic data download and analysis can be summarized in three steps: 1) the periodic telemetry data download from the BeppoSAX SOC, one orbit at a time (once every $\sim$ 103 min); 2) GRBM light curves extraction and GRB search: after the download of the telemetry data from a new orbit to Ferrara, all the relevant scientific data are extracted; among these, the GRBM light curves of all units in both energy bands are scanned in order to detect GRB candidate events by applying the late SWTCs widely described within the previous chapter; 3) alert procedure and data distribution once a GRB candidate has been discovered: only in this case, the main characteristics of the GRB candidate are sent within a fixed format mail to a mailing list, including the SOC, where a cross-check with the WFC data is performed by the duty scientists in order to detect possible X-ray prompt emission in the WFC data. When this happens, a prompt localization within a few arcmins becomes feasible just a few hours after the burst.

Figure: Scheme of the on-line quest.

The mailing list also includes people of the GRBM team, the Ulysses team, for IPN triangulations, when possible, the ASM/XTE team, the HETE II team (since October 2000) and a machine devoted to automatic cross-checks with the NEAR data (till February 2001, when this spacecraft landed on the Eros asteroid).

A scheme describing the overall chain is given in fig. .