The metallicity and dust content of a redshift 5 gamma-ray burst host galaxy

Journal Article · Sun Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/785/2/150· OSTI ID:22357076

Sparre, M.; Krühler, T.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Watson, D. J.; De Ugarte Postigo, A.; Hjorth, J.; Malesani, D. ^[1]; Hartoog, O. E.; Kaper, L. ^[2]; Wiersema, K. ^[3]; D'Elia, V. ^[4]; Zafar, T. ^[5]; Afonso, P. M. J. ^[6]; Covino, S. ^[7]; Flores, H. ^[8]; Goldoni, P. ^[9]; Greiner, J. ^[10]; Jakobsson, P. ^[11]; Klose, S. ^[12]; others, and

---

1. Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Juliane Maries Vej 30, 2100 Copenhagen (Denmark)
2. Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH, Amsterdam (Netherlands)
3. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH (United Kingdom)
4. INAF/Rome Astronomical Observatory, via Frascati 33, I-00040 Monteporzio Catone (Roma) (Italy)
5. European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany)
6. Physics and Astronomy Department, American River College, 4700 College Oak Drive, Sacramento, CA 95841 (United States)
7. INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, via E. Bianchi 46, I-23807 Merate (Italy)
8. Laboratoire GEPI, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS-UMR8111, Universite Paris Diderot 5 place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon (France)
9. APC, Astroparticule et Cosmologie, Universite Paris Diderot, CNRS/IN2P3, CEA/Irfu, Observatoire de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 10, Rue Alice Domon et Léonie Duquet, F-75205 Paris, Cedex 13 (France)
10. Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstraße, D-85748 Garching (Germany)
11. Centre for Astrophysics and Cosmology, Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 5, IS-107 Reykjavik (Iceland)
12. Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Sternwarte 5, D-07778 Tautenburg (Germany)

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 Lyα absorber with a very large neutral hydrogen column density of log N(H I)/cm{sup −2}=22.30±0.06 and a metallicity of [S/H] = –1.70 ± 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 ± 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.

• OSTI ID: 22357076
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 785, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ABSORPTION
ABUNDANCE
AFTERGLOW
COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS
DENSITY
DUSTS
FINE STRUCTURE
GALAXIES
HYDROGEN
METALLICITY
METALS
RED SHIFT
STARS