The potential of INTEGRAL for the detection of high redshift GRBs

¹ Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC), Camino Bajo de Huétor, 24, 18008 Granada, Spain e-mail: jgu@iaa.es
² Danish Space Research Institute, Juliane Maries Vej, 30, 2100 København Ø, Denmark
³ Space Telescope Science Institute, 3.700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218-2463, USA

Received: 10 October 2003
Accepted: 12 July 2004

Abstract

We discuss INTEGRAL's ability to detect a high redshift population of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) in comparison to other high-energy missions. Emphasis is placed on the study of the relative capabilities of IBIS on board INTEGRAL with respect to SWIFT and HETE 2 in detecting a high redshift population of GRBs. We conclude that, if the GRB rate is proportional to the star formation rate, INTEGRAL's ability to study GRBs are complementary to the ones of missions like SWIFT and HETE 2, devoted to prompt localisations of GRBs. Whereas SWIFT and HETE 2 would detect a higher number of GRBs than INTEGRAL, IBIS might be able to detect high redshift () GRBs, unreachable by SWIFT and HETE 2. We discuss the relevance of performing near-infrared (NIR) observations of the INTEGRAL GRBs and the strategy that large-class telescopes might follow.