Gamma-Ray Bursts Detected by the Swift/BAT Instrument

The Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) is one of the three instruments on the Swift MIDEX spacecraft to study gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The BAT first detects the GRB and localizes the burst direction to an accuracy of 1-4 arc minutes within 20 seconds after the start of the event. The burst information including location, light curve and rough measures of fluence are sent to the ground immediately and disseminated to the observing community via the GRB Coordinates Network. Fully automated GRB notification has now been enabled. The BAT first detected and imaged a GRB on 17 December, 2004 and has detected a large number of bursts since that time. Many of these bursts have been localized either by the Swift narrow-field instruments, other satellite instruments or by ground-based observations. A summary of the Swift/BAT detected GRBs will be presented, along with a discussion of the most important bursts including GRB 0401219.