GROND - Gamma-Ray Burst Optical/Near-Infrared Detector

GROND is an imaging instrument to investigate Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows and other transients simultaneously in seven filter bands. Several dichroic beamsplitters feed light into three NIR channels and four visual channels, each equipped with its own detector. GROND has become operational in 2007.

GROND has been built by the high-energy group of MPE in collaboration with the LSW Tautenburg and ESO. GROND is operated as a PI-instrument at the MPI/ESO 2.2m telescope on La Silla (Chile).

GROND Data

GROND Documentation

• GROND Instrument paper: preprint version (PDF) or link to PASP 120 (2008) (html)
• Calibration (zero points, conversion relations)
• GROND filter curves (ASCII)
• Rules for GROND use by other MPI groups
• Hints for preparing GROND OBs and other operations issues.

GROND and the Press

• Bilder für die Presse mit Erklärungen (in deutsch)

• Commissioning
  • Report on GROND commissioning: ESO Mess. 130 (2007) p. 12-14
  • ESO Press Release on First Light of GROND (July 2007) and the corresponding MPG Pressemitteilung (in German)
  • Report in the Astronomy magazine (July 2007)
  • Report in the Science Daily (July 2007)
• GRB 080913 at z=6.7
  • Discovery of highest redshift GRB so far: GRB 080913 NASA Press Release Sep. 2008
  • Discovery of highest redshift GRB so far: GRB 080913 MPE Pressemitteilung Sep. 2008
  • Explosion From Edge of Universe Seen LiveScience 19 Sep 2008
  • Explosion From Edge of Universe Seen SPACE.com 19 Sep 2008
  • Gamma Ray Burst From the Edge of the Universe UniverseToday 20 Sep 2008
• GRB 080916C with GeV emission seen by Fermi/LAT
  • GRB 080916C: the most extreme GRB so far NASA Press Release Feb. 2009
  • Brightest-Ever Gamma Ray Burst Spotted DiscoveryChannel News 19 Feb 2009
• GRB 090423 at z=8
  • MPE press release in Deutsch and in English
  • NASA press release
  • ESO press release 17-09
  • CfA press release
  • Wikipedia entry
  • "Sterne und Weltraum" Blog KOSMOLogs des Spektrum Verlag
  • BBC News
  • Science News on Science Daily from Apr. 28, 2009
  • APOD of Apr 29
  • MPG Interview (in Deutsch) Apr 30

Other Links

• History of GROND idea and development

• Our GROND instrument in Wikipedia, inserted by an unknown GROND-fan
• Grond in Tolkien's Universe at Wikipedia

• Presentations of GROND:
  MPE Annual Report for 2006 (goto p. 66)
  Paragraph in the MPE Annual Report for 2005 (p. 100)
  Paragraph in the MPE Annual Report for 2004 (chapter 3.4, p. 103)
  Poster for Science Council/Fachbeirat in 2004 (PDF)
  Paragraph in the MPE Annual Report for 2003
  Paragraph in the MPE Annual Report for 2002
  Poster for Science Council/Fachbeirat in 2002 (PDF)