Automated Science Processing for GLAST LAT Data

Automated Science Processing (ASP) will be performed by the GLAST Large Area Telescope (LAT) Instrument Science Operations Center (ISOC) on data from the satellite as soon as the Level 1 data are available in the ground processing pipeline. ASP will consist of time-critical science analyses that will facilitate follow-up and multi-wavelength observations of transient sources. These analyses include refinement of gamma-ray burst (GRB) positions, timing, flux and spectral properties, off-line searches for untriggered GRBs and gamma-ray afterglows, longer time scale monitoring of a standard set of sources (AGNs, X-ray binaries), and searches for previously unknown flaring sources in the LAT band. We describe the design of ASP and its scientific products; and we show results of a prototype implementation, driven by the standard LAT data processing pipeline, as applied to simulated LAT and GBM data