Gemini Observations of Swift Gamma-Ray Bursts: Absorption Spectra and Redshift Records

Details Gemini Observations of Swift Gamma-Ray Bursts: Absorption Spectra and Redshift Records Gemini Observations of Swift Gamma-Ray Bursts: Absorption Spectra and Redshift Records

Jan 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010aas...21530302c&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #215, #303.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.299

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

I will present a status update and discuss recent results in gamma-ray burst (GRB) follow-up studies using the Gemini telescopes. This work draws upon five years of data obtained using the GMOS and NIRI instruments on Gemini-North and Gemini-South. We observed more than 60 gamma-ray bursts and provided secure redshifts, or constraints on redshifts, for more than 1/3 of them. Working from a high signal-to-noise sample of 15 afterglow spectra obtained with the GMOS spectrograph (R 1200), covering the redshift range 0.6 < z < 4.9, we have measured absorption features equivalent widths and derived column densities for unsaturated lines. I will discuss how our findings relate to previous works on GRB host metallicities, dust content and, also, studies of damped and sub-damped Lyman-alpha systems using observed in quasars spectra. I will present some recent results from Gemini photometric campaigns aimed at identifying the highest-redshift GRBs. GRB 090423 was undetected in an R-band acquisition image leading our group to perform a series of YJH infrared observations with NIRI. A Y-band drop out indicated 7 < z < 9 which was subsequently spectroscopically confirmed at z = 8.2. GRB 090429B had early time deep optical upper limits leading us to trigger izJHK imaging observations. I will present our analysis of these data, which suggest, for the origin of this event, either z 3, with significant intrinsic extinction at the GRB host, or z > 8 with a negligible dust content.

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