Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2005-09-06
Astron.Astrophys.447:L5-L8,2006
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in A&A Letters
Scientific paper
10.1051/0004-6361:200500228
We present optical observations of the short/hard gamma-ray burst GRB 050709, the first such event with an identified optical counterpart. The object is coincident with a weak X-ray source and is located inside a galaxy at redshift z = 0.1606 +- 0.0002. Multiband photometry allowed us to study the broad-band spectral energy distribution. Late-time monitoring places strong limits on any supernova simultaneous with the GRB. The host galaxy is not of early type. Spectra show that the dominant stellar population is relatively young (~ 1 Gyr), and that ongoing star formation is present at a level of 2-3 (L/L*) Msun/yr. This is at least 2 orders of magnitude larger than that observed in the elliptical hosts of the short GRB 050509B and GRB 050724. This shows that at least some short GRBs originate in a young population. Short/hard GRB models based on the merger of a binary degenerate system are compatible with the host galaxy characteristics, although there is still the possibility of a connection between young stars and at least a fraction of such events.
Antonelli Lucio Angelo
Burrows David N.
Campana Sergio
Chincarini Guido
Conciatore Maria Laura
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