A balloon-borne instrumentation for cosmic gamma-ray burst detection and measurement

Abstract A wide-field X-ray detector for observations of cosmic gamma-ray bursts has been prepared and launched on a balloon platform from the base of Trapani-Milo (Sicily) in July of 1983. The detector is an imaging type, 40 cm diameter gamma camera, paired with a 1.8 m diameter pseudorandom, 50% open mask, to make up the telescope. The detector works in the energy range between 30 and 600 keV with imaging capabilities up to 300 keV. A description is given of the detector characteristics, main payload electronics and also the supporting packages and subsystems.