| Description |
Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are so luminous that they can shine through highly obscured galaxies, nearby and in the remote universe. GRBs enable identification of galaxies independently of their luminosity, thus singling out a population that is a potentially powerful probe of galaxy evolution. Here we propose PACS and SPIRE imaging of the host galaxies of dark GRBs, GRBs whose optical afterglow emission is weaker than expected relative to Xrays. Recent work suggests that the main cause of the optical darkness of a GRB is dust extinction and moderate redshift, and their hosts may be a significant component of the GRB host galaxy (GRBH) population at redshifts > 1. Our sample of 13 dark GRBHs has been carefully selected by requiring a prior Spitzer detection, so that we will be ensured of detecting the far-IR emission with Herschel. We already have collected a large amount of ancillary multiwavelength data which will be combined with the Herschel photometry to construct spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from the UV to the far-IR. Fitting SEDs with a library of galaxy templates will enable us to derive bolometric luminosities and SFRs, constrain dust mass, dust temperature, and grain properties, as well as stellar age and mass. We will compare the dust and stellar components of the galaxies, and analyze the GRBHs in the context of other high-z galaxy populations. Such a program is now possible thanks to the unique ability of Herschel to study dust emission in galaxies over a wide range of redshifts. Ultimately our proposed study of GRBHs will open a new window on the study of galaxy formation and evolution. |
| Publication |
New light on gamma-ray burst host galaxies with Herschel . Hunt L. K. et al. . Astronomy & Astrophysics, Volume 565, id.A112, 19 pp. . 565 . 10.1051/0004-6361/201323340 . 2014A&A...565A.112H ,
Two γ-ray bursts from dusty regions with little molecular gas . Hatsukade B. et al. . Nature, Volume 510, Issue 7504, pp. 247-249 (2014). . 510 . 10.1038/nature13325 . 2014Natur.510..247H ,
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