Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Aug 2007
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007noao.prop..515f&link_type=abstract
NOAO Proposal ID #2007B-0515
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Scientific paper
During the past decade extraordinary progress has been made in determining the origin of long-duration gamma-ray bursts. It has been conclusively shown that these objects derive from the deaths of massive stars. Nonetheless, the origin of their observational cousins, short-duration GRBs (SGRBs) remains a mystery. While SGRBs are thought to result from the inspiral of compact binaries, this is still conjecture. Many hosts of SGRBs have been identified and used to argue that SGRBs derive from an ancient population ( 5Gyr); however, it is not known whether this conclusion more accurately reflects selection biases or astrophysics. So far the SGRBs detected in the optical have had large gamma-ray fluences. This suggests that bursts more distant than z 0.3 (or perhaps closer) have been missed due to selection effects. Early deep searches with 8-m class telescopes will detect transients of fainter and more distant SGRBs, and identify their hosts, redshifts, and surrounding stellar populations. Furthermore, rapid 8-m class observations could lead to the first absorption spectra of SGRB transients, supplying direct insight into their progenitor environments.
Bersier David
Fruchter Andrew
Graham John
Hjorth Jens
LaCluyze Aaron
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