GALI — A GAmma-ray burst Localizing Instrument

Julia Saleh-Natur; Ehud Behar; Omer Reich; Shlomit Tarem; Zvika Tarem; Alexander Vdovin; Amir Feigenboim; Liron Avioz; Aleksei Klimov; Sharon Mitrani; Solomon Margolin; Avner Kaidar; Hovhannes Agalarian; Roi Rahin; Alon Osovizky; Eran Vax; Max Ghelman

doi:10.1016/j.nima.2025.171226

GALI — A GAmma-ray burst Localizing Instrument

Julia Saleh-Natur
, Ehud Behar
, Omer Reich
, Shlomit Tarem
, Zvika Tarem
, Alexander Vdovin
, Amir Feigenboim
, Liron Avioz
, Aleksei Klimov
, Sharon Mitrani
, Solomon Margolin
, Avner Kaidar
, Hovhannes Agalarian
, Roi Rahin
, Alon Osovizky
, Eran Vax
, Max Ghelman

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

γ-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most energetic messengers of core-collapse supernovae and mergers of neutron stars. Although GRB detection has become commonplace, its accurate and timely localization remains challenging as non-focusing soft γ-ray detectors retain no directional information. GALI is a new instrument for localizing GRBs, based on the mutual occultation of hundreds of scintillators. The GALI concept is scalable and can fit on a small satellite. Here, we present an operational model of ∼1 liter with 362 scintillators that localizes an ²⁴¹Am laboratory source to ∼1° accuracy. We compare these results with simulations, which include proper sky background, predicting a GRB localization accuracy of ∼2^∘−3^∘ in space. We demonstrate with GALI results how Poisson statistics can be used to estimate localization uncertainty confidence areas on the sky.

Original language	English
Article number	171226
Journal	Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume	1084
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2025.171226
State	Published - 1 Apr 2026
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Coded mask aperture
Gamma-ray bursts
Localization algorithms
Scintillators
γ-ray instrumentation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Instrumentation

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10.1016/j.nima.2025.171226

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Saleh-Natur, J., Behar, E., Reich, O., Tarem, S., Tarem, Z., Vdovin, A., Feigenboim, A., Avioz, L., Klimov, A., Mitrani, S., Margolin, S., Kaidar, A., Agalarian, H., Rahin, R., Osovizky, A., Vax, E., & Ghelman, M. (2026). GALI — A GAmma-ray burst Localizing Instrument. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 1084, Article 171226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2025.171226

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title = "GALI — A GAmma-ray burst Localizing Instrument",

abstract = "γ-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most energetic messengers of core-collapse supernovae and mergers of neutron stars. Although GRB detection has become commonplace, its accurate and timely localization remains challenging as non-focusing soft γ-ray detectors retain no directional information. GALI is a new instrument for localizing GRBs, based on the mutual occultation of hundreds of scintillators. The GALI concept is scalable and can fit on a small satellite. Here, we present an operational model of ∼1 liter with 362 scintillators that localizes an 241Am laboratory source to ∼1° accuracy. We compare these results with simulations, which include proper sky background, predicting a GRB localization accuracy of ∼2∘−3∘ in space. We demonstrate with GALI results how Poisson statistics can be used to estimate localization uncertainty confidence areas on the sky.",

keywords = "Coded mask aperture, Gamma-ray bursts, Localization algorithms, Scintillators, γ-ray instrumentation",

author = "Julia Saleh-Natur and Ehud Behar and Omer Reich and Shlomit Tarem and Zvika Tarem and Alexander Vdovin and Amir Feigenboim and Liron Avioz and Aleksei Klimov and Sharon Mitrani and Solomon Margolin and Avner Kaidar and Hovhannes Agalarian and Roi Rahin and Alon Osovizky and Eran Vax and Max Ghelman",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Authors",

year = "2026",

month = apr,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.nima.2025.171226",

language = "English",

volume = "1084",

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Saleh-Natur, J, Behar, E, Reich, O, Tarem, S, Tarem, Z, Vdovin, A, Feigenboim, A, Avioz, L, Klimov, A, Mitrani, S, Margolin, S, Kaidar, A, Agalarian, H, Rahin, R, Osovizky, A, Vax, E & Ghelman, M 2026, 'GALI — A GAmma-ray burst Localizing Instrument', Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, vol. 1084, 171226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2025.171226

TY - JOUR

T1 - GALI — A GAmma-ray burst Localizing Instrument

AU - Saleh-Natur, Julia

AU - Behar, Ehud

AU - Reich, Omer

AU - Tarem, Shlomit

AU - Tarem, Zvika

AU - Vdovin, Alexander

AU - Feigenboim, Amir

AU - Avioz, Liron

AU - Klimov, Aleksei

AU - Mitrani, Sharon

AU - Margolin, Solomon

AU - Kaidar, Avner

AU - Agalarian, Hovhannes

AU - Rahin, Roi

AU - Osovizky, Alon

AU - Vax, Eran

AU - Ghelman, Max

PY - 2026/4/1

Y1 - 2026/4/1

N2 - γ-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most energetic messengers of core-collapse supernovae and mergers of neutron stars. Although GRB detection has become commonplace, its accurate and timely localization remains challenging as non-focusing soft γ-ray detectors retain no directional information. GALI is a new instrument for localizing GRBs, based on the mutual occultation of hundreds of scintillators. The GALI concept is scalable and can fit on a small satellite. Here, we present an operational model of ∼1 liter with 362 scintillators that localizes an 241Am laboratory source to ∼1° accuracy. We compare these results with simulations, which include proper sky background, predicting a GRB localization accuracy of ∼2∘−3∘ in space. We demonstrate with GALI results how Poisson statistics can be used to estimate localization uncertainty confidence areas on the sky.

AB - γ-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most energetic messengers of core-collapse supernovae and mergers of neutron stars. Although GRB detection has become commonplace, its accurate and timely localization remains challenging as non-focusing soft γ-ray detectors retain no directional information. GALI is a new instrument for localizing GRBs, based on the mutual occultation of hundreds of scintillators. The GALI concept is scalable and can fit on a small satellite. Here, we present an operational model of ∼1 liter with 362 scintillators that localizes an 241Am laboratory source to ∼1° accuracy. We compare these results with simulations, which include proper sky background, predicting a GRB localization accuracy of ∼2∘−3∘ in space. We demonstrate with GALI results how Poisson statistics can be used to estimate localization uncertainty confidence areas on the sky.

KW - Coded mask aperture

KW - Gamma-ray bursts

KW - Localization algorithms

KW - Scintillators

KW - γ-ray instrumentation

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105025053039

U2 - 10.1016/j.nima.2025.171226

DO - 10.1016/j.nima.2025.171226

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105025053039

SN - 0168-9002

VL - 1084

JO - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

JF - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

M1 - 171226

ER -

GALI — A GAmma-ray burst Localizing Instrument

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Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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