[vsnet-grb-info 15055] Swift XRT is off-line

[GCN Circulars]

TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  16349
SUBJECT: Swift XRT is off-line
DATE:    14/06/04 16:52:40 GMT
FROM:    David Burrows at PSU/Swift  <dnburrows at gmail.com>

D. N. Burrows, J. A. Kennea, J. A. Nousek, and N. Gehrels report on behalf of the Swift team:

At 00:23 UT on 4 June 2014, Swift XRT rebooted.  Two attempts to recover the instrument to normal operational status were unsuccessful.  The instrument is currently operating in “Manual State” (a debugging/calibration state) but cannot currently be switched back into Auto State to collect normal science data.   XRT data taken in Manual State look normal, indicating that the CCD and signal processing chain in the instrument are working correctly.  We are working to restore the instrument to normal operating conditions at the earliest possible opportunity.

The anomaly affects only the XRT instrument; the BAT and UVOT instruments are working normally and continue to collect data.  The BAT will continue to detect new GRBs and transients and Swift will continue to slew to them, and the real-time notices will continue to be distributed by the GCN, but there will be no XRT data until the anomaly is resolved.