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Title: Another short-burst host galaxy with an optically obscured high star formation rate: The case of GRB 071227

Journal Article · · Astrophysical Journal
; ; ; ;  [1]; ;  [2]; ;  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6]
  1. Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Sternwarte 5, D-07778 Tautenburg (Germany)
  2. Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom)
  3. Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstraße, D-85748 Garching (Germany)
  4. INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze (Italy)
  5. Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IAA-CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, E-18008 Granada (Spain)
  6. INAF-IASF Bologna, Via Gobetti 101, I-40129 Bologna (Italy)

We report on radio continuum observations of the host galaxy of the short gamma-ray burst 071227 (z = 0.381) with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. We detect the galaxy in the 5.5 GHz band with an integrated flux density of F {sub ν} = 43 ± 11 μJy, corresponding to an unobscured star-formation rate of about 24 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1}, 40 times higher than what was found from optical emission lines. Among the ∼30 well-identified and studied host galaxies of short bursts this is the third case where the host is found to undergo an episode of intense star formation. This suggests that a fraction of all short-burst progenitors hosted in star-forming galaxies could be physically related to recent star formation activity, implying a relatively short merger timescale.

OSTI ID:
22356481
Journal Information:
Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 789, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English