Scientific performance of on-board analyses for the SVOM X-ray telescope MXT

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the in-flight performance of the on-board analysis system of the SVOM satellite's MXT X-ray telescope, demonstrating accurate, rapid localization of gamma-ray burst afterglows crucial for follow-up observations.

Contribution

It presents the first in-flight performance assessment of the on-board analysis for the SVOM MXT, highlighting its accuracy and low-latency capabilities for gamma-ray burst localization.

Findings

Localization uncertainty below 2 arcmin

Average position offset of 40 arcsec from other measurements

Rapid sky localization within seconds of burst detection

Abstract

The Microchannel X-ray Telescope on board the Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) satellite detects and localizes the X-ray afterglow of gamma-ray bursts. One year after the launch, this paper presents the in-flight performance of the scientific analyses conducted by the on-board computer. After summarizing the analysis steps, the paper reviews the on-board results obtained with 15 gamma-ray burst afterglows detected by the telescope between October 2024 and August 2025. For all bursts, the localization uncertainty is estimated to be below 2 arcmin, as required by the mission design. On average, the measured position is found to be 40 arcsec away from the position measured by other experiments with a better sky resolution. Moreover, we show that the on-board analysis provides a precise sky location for the burst only a few seconds after the beginning of the observation. Taking advantage of an efficient very-high-frequency antenna network, this information is quickly collected on the ground and disseminated to other observation facilities. This low-latency strategy is critical for the multi-wavelength and multi-instrument follow-up program of SVOM.