Likelihood Analysis of Repeating in the BATSE Catalogue

I describe a new likelihood technique, based on counts-in-cells statistics, that I use to analyze repeating in the BATSE 1B and 2B catalogues. Using the 1B data, I find that repeating is preferred over non-repeating by 4.3:1 odds, with a well-defined peak at 5-6 repetitions per source. I find that the post-1B data are consistent with the repeating model inferred from the 1B data, after taking into account the lower fraction of bursts with well-determined positions. Combining the two data sets, I find that the odds favoring repeating over non-repeating are almost unaffected at 4:1, with a narrower peak at 5 repetitions per source. I conclude that the data sets are consistent both with each other and with repeating, and that for these data sets the odds favor repeating.