Gamma-ray burst detection with the AGILE mini-calorimeter

Abstract

Context. The mini-calorimeter (MCAL) instrument on-board the AGILE satellite is a non-imaging gamma-ray scintillation detector sensitive in the 300 keV–100 MeV energy range with a total on-axis geometrical area of 1400 cm2. Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are one of the main scientific targets of the AGILE mission and the MCAL design as an independent self-triggering detector makes it a valuable all-sky monitor for GRBs. Furthermore MCAL is one of the very few operative instruments with microsecond timing capabilities in the MeV range.