Whether stars could have driven the reionization of the intergalactic medium depends critically on the proportion of ionizing radiation that escapes the galaxies in which it is produced. Spectroscopy ...of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows can be used to estimate the opacity to extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation along the lines-of-sight to the bursts. Assuming that long-duration GRBs trace the locations of the massive stars dominating EUV production, the average escape fraction of ionizing radiation can be calculated independently of galaxy size or luminosity. Here we present a compilation of HI column density (N(HI)) measures for 140 GRBs in the range 1.6 < z <6.7. Although the sample is heterogeneous, in terms of spectral resolution and signal-to-noise ratio, fits to the Ly α absorption line provide robust constraints on N(HI), even for spectra of insufficient quality for other purposes. Thus we establish an escape fraction at the Lyman limit of {f(esc)} ≈ 0.005, with a 98 per cent confidence upper limit of {f(esc)} ≈ 0.015. This analysis suggests that stars provide a small contribution to the ionizing radiation budget at z < 5. At higher redshifts firm conclusions are limited by the small size of the GRB sample (7/140), but any decline in average HI column density seems to be modest. We also find no significant correlation of N(HI) with galaxy UV luminosity or host stellar mass. We discuss in some detail potential biases and argue that, while not negligible, systematic errors in f(esc) are unlikely to be more than a factor ∼2 in either direction, and so would not affect the primary conclusions. Given that many GRB hosts are low-metallicity dwarf galaxies with high specific star-formation rates, these results present a particular problem for the hypothesis that such galaxies dominated the reionization of the Universe.
In this work we present spectra of all γ-ray burst (GRB) afterglows that have been promptly observed with the X-shooter spectrograph until 31/03/2017. In total, we have obtained spectroscopic ...observations of 103 individual GRBs observed within 48 hours of the GRB trigger. Redshifts have been measured for 97 per cent of these, covering a redshift range from 0.059 to 7.84. Based on a set of observational selection criteria that minimise biases with regards to intrinsic properties of the GRBs, the follow-up effort has been focused on producing a homogeneously selected sample of 93 afterglow spectra for GRBs discovered by the Swift satellite. We here provide a public release of all the reduced spectra, including continuum estimates and telluric absorption corrections. For completeness, we also provide reductions for the 18 late-time observations of the underlying host galaxies. We provide an assessment of the degree of completeness with respect to the parent GRB population, in terms of the X-ray properties of the bursts in the sample and find that the sample presented here is representative of the full Swift sample. We have constrained the fraction of dark bursts to be <28 per cent and confirm previous results that higher optical darkness is correlated with increased X-ray absorption. For the 42 bursts for which it is possible, we have provided a measurement of the neutral hydrogen column density, increasing the total number of published HI column density measurements by ∼33 per cent. This dataset provides a unique resource to study the ISM across cosmic time, from the local progenitor surroundings to the intervening Universe.
Abstract
We present a comprehensive study of the relations between gas kinematics, metallicity and stellar mass in a sample of 82 gamma-ray burst (GRB)-selected galaxies using absorption and emission ...methods. We find the velocity widths of both emission and absorption profiles to be a proxy of stellar mass. We also investigate the velocity–metallicity correlation and its evolution with redshift. Using 33 GRB hosts with measured stellar mass and metallicity, we study the mass–metallicity relation for GRB host galaxies in a stellar mass range of 108.2–1011.1 M⊙ and a redshift range of z ∼ 0.3–3.4. The GRB-selected galaxies appear to track the mass–metallicity relation of star-forming galaxies but with an offset of 0.15 towards lower metallicities. This offset is comparable with the average error bar on the metallicity measurements of the GRB sample and also the scatter on the mass–metallicity relation of the general population. It is hard to decide whether this relatively small offset is due to systematic effects or the intrinsic nature of GRB hosts. We also investigate the possibility of using absorption-line metallicity measurements of GRB hosts to study the mass–metallicity relation at high redshifts. Our analysis shows that the metallicity measurements from absorption methods can significantly differ from emission metallicities and assuming identical measurements from the two methods may result in erroneous conclusions.
Context. At low redshift, a handful of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been discovered with luminosities that are substantially lower (Liso ≲ 1048.5 erg s-1) than the average of more distant ones (Liso ...≳ 1049.5 erg s-1). It has been suggested that the properties of several low-luminosity (low-L) GRBs are due to shock break-out, as opposed to the emission from ultrarelativistic jets. This has led to much debate about how the populations are connected. Aims. The burst at redshift z = 0.283 from 2012 April 22 is one of the very few examples of intermediate-L GRBs with a γ-ray luminosity of Liso ~ 1049.6−49.9 erg s-1 that have been detected up to now. With the robust detection of its accompanying supernova SN 2012bz, it has the potential to answer important questions on the origin of low- and high-L GRBs and the GRB-SN connection. Methods. We carried out a spectroscopy campaign using medium- and low-resolution spectrographs with 6–10-m class telescopes, which covered a time span of 37.3 days, and a multi-wavelength imaging campaign, which ranged from radio to X-ray energies over a duration of ~270 days. Furthermore, we used a tuneable filter that is centred at Hα to map star-formation in the host and the surrounding galaxies. We used these data to extract and model the properties of different radiation components and fitted the spectral energy distribution to extract the properties of the host galaxy. Results. Modelling the light curve and spectral energy distribution from the radio to the X-rays revealed that the blast wave expanded with an initial Lorentz factor of Γ0 ~ 50, which is a low value in comparison to high-L GRBs, and that the afterglow had an exceptionally low peak luminosity density of ≲2 × 1030 erg s-1 Hz-1 in the sub-mm. Because of the weak afterglow component, we were able to recover the signature of a shock break-out in an event that was not a genuine low-L GRB for the first time. At 1.4 hr after the burst, the stellar envelope had a blackbody temperature of kBT ~ 16 eV and a radius of ~7 × 1013 cm (both in the observer frame). The accompanying SN 2012bz reached a peak luminosity of MV = −19.7 mag, which is 0.3 mag more luminous than SN 1998bw. The synthesised nickel mass of 0.58 M⊙, ejecta mass of 5.87 M⊙, and kinetic energy of 4.10 × 1052 erg were among the highest for GRB-SNe, which makes it the most luminous spectroscopically confirmed SN to date. Nebular emission lines at the GRB location were visible, which extend from the galaxy nucleus to the explosion site. The host and the explosion site had close-to-solar metallicity. The burst occurred in an isolated star-forming region with an SFR that is 1/10 of that in the galaxy’s nucleus. Conclusions. While the prompt γ-ray emission points to a high-L GRB, the weak afterglow and the low Γ0 were very atypical for such a burst. Moreover, the detection of the shock break-out signature is a new quality for high-L GRBs. So far, shock break-outs were exclusively detected for low-L GRBs, while GRB 120422A had an intermediate Liso of ~1049.6−49.9 erg s-1. Therefore, we conclude that GRB 120422A was a transition object between low- and high-L GRBs, which supports the failed-jet model that connects low-L GRBs that are driven by shock break-outs and high-L GRBs that are powered by ultra-relativistic jets.
The reionisation of the Universe is a process that is thought to have ended around z ~ 6, as inferred from spectroscopy of distant bright background sources, such as quasars (QSO) and gamma-ray burst ...(GRB) after glows. We aim to measure the degree of ionisation of the intergalactic medium (1GM) between z = 5.02-5.84 and to study the chemical abundance pattern and dust content of its host galaxy. We estimated the UV continuum of the GRB afterglow using a power-law extrapolation, then measured the flux decrement due to absorption at Lyalpha, beta, and gamma wavelength regions. Our measurements confirm that the Universe is already predominantly ionised over the redshift range probed in this work, but was slightly more neutral at z > 5.6. GRBs are useful probes of the ionisation state of the 1GM in the early Universe, but because of internal scatter we need a larger statistical sample to draw robust conclusions.
Abstract
In several gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) excess emission, in addition to the standard synchrotron afterglow spectrum, has been discovered in the early-time X-ray observations. It has been proposed ...that this excess comes from blackbody emission, which may be related to the shock breakout of a supernova in the GRBs progenitor star. This hypothesis is supported by the discovery of excess emission in several GRBs with an associated supernova. Using mock spectra we show that it is only likely to detect such a component, similar to the one proposed in GRB 101219B, at low redshift and in low absorption environments. We also perform a systematic search for blackbody components in all the GRBs observed with the Swift satellite and find six bursts (GRBs 061021, 061110A, 081109, 090814A, 100621A and 110715A) with possible blackbody components. Under the assumption that their excess emission is due to a blackbody component we present radii, temperatures and luminosities of the emitting components. We also show that detection of blackbody components only is possible in a fraction of the Swift bursts.
We present here a survey of high-ionization absorption lines in the afterglow spectra of long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) obtained with the VLT/X-shooter spectrograph. Our main goal is to ...investigate the circumburst medium in the natal regions of GRBs. Our primary focus is on the N vλλ 1238, 1242 line transitions, but we also discuss other high-ionization lines such as O vi, C iv, and Si iv. We find no correlation between the column density of N v and the neutral gas properties such as metallicity, H i column density, and dust depletion; however, the relative velocity of N v, typically a blueshift with respect to the neutral gas, is found to be correlated with the column density of H i. This may be explained if the N v gas is part of an H ii region hosting the GRB, where the region’s expansion is confined by dense, neutral gas in the GRB’s host galaxy. We find tentative evidence (at 2σ significance) that the X-ray derived column density, N_H, X, may be correlated with the column density of N v, which would indicate that both measurements are sensitive to the column density of the gas located in the vicinity of the GRB. We investigate the scenario where N v (and also O vi) is produced by recombination after the corresponding atoms have been stripped entirely of their electrons by the initial prompt emission, in contrast to previous models where highly ionized gas is produced by photoionization from the GRB afterglow.
Observations of the afterglows of long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) allow the study of star-forming galaxies across most of cosmic history. Here we present observations of GRB 111008A, from which we can ...measure metallicity, chemical abundance patterns, dust-to-metals ratio (DTM), and extinction of the GRB host galaxy at z = 5.0. The host absorption system is a damped Ly alpha absorber with a very large neutral hydrogen column density of log N(H I)/cm super(-2) = 22.30 + or - 0.06 and a metallicity of S/H = -1.70 + or - 0.10. It is the highest-redshift GRB with such a precise metallicity measurement. The presence of fine-structure lines confirms the z = 5.0 system as the GRB host galaxy and makes this the highest redshift where Fe II fine-structure lines have been detected. The afterglow is mildly reddened with A sub(V) = 0.11 + or - 0.04 mag, and the host galaxy has a DTM that is consistent with being equal to or lower than typical values in the Local Group.
Context. The star-forming nature of long γ-ray burst (GRB) host galaxies provides invaluable constraints on the progenitors of GRBs and might open a short-cut to the characteristics of typical ...star-forming galaxies throughout the history of the Universe. Due to the absence of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, however, detailed investigations, specifically a determination of the gas-phase metallicity of gamma-ray burst hosts, was largely limited to redshifts z < 1 to date. Aims. We observed the galaxy hosting GRB 080605 at z = 1.64 using optical/NIR spectroscopy and high-resolution HST/WFC3 imaging in the rest-frame wavelength range between 1150 and 8700 Å. These data allow us to study a z > 1 GRB host in unprecedented detail and investigate the relation between GRB hosts and field galaxies. Methods. We availed of VLT/X-shooter optical/NIR spectroscopy to measure the metallicity, electron density, star-formation rate (SFR), and reddening of the host of GRB 080605. Specifically, we used different strong-line diagnostics to robustly measure the gas-phase metallicity within the interstellar medium (ISM) for the first time based on N ii at this redshift. Results. The host of the energetic (Eγ,iso ~ 2 × 1053 erg) GRB 080605 at z ~ 1.64 is a morphologically complex, vigorously star-forming galaxy with an Hα-derived SFR of 31-6+12 M⊙ yr-1. Its ISM is significantly enriched with metals. Specifically, N ii/Hα = 0.14 ± 0.02, which yields an oxygen abundance 12 + log (O/H) between 8.3 and 8.6 depending on the adopted strong-line calibrator. This corresponds to values in the range of 0.4 − 0.8 Z⊙. For its measured stellar mass M* = 8.0-1.6+1.3 × 109 M⊙ and SFR, this value is consistent with the fundamental metallicity relation defined by star-forming field galaxies. The absence of strong Lyα emission constrains the escape fraction of resonantly-scattered Lyα photons to fesc ≲ 0.08. Conclusions. Our observations provide a detailed picture of the conditions in the ISM of a highly star-forming galaxy with irregular morphology at z ~ 1.6. They include the first robust metallicity measurement based on N ii for a GRB host at z > 1 and directly illustrate that GRB hosts are not necessarily metal-poor, both on absolute scales as well as relative to their stellar mass and SFR. GRB hosts could thus be fair tracers of the population of ordinary star-forming galaxies at high redshift.
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