On the Lyα emission from gamma-ray burst host galaxies: Evidence for low metallicities

J. P.U. Fynbo; P. Jakobsson; P. Møller; J. Hjorth; B. Thomsen; M. I. Andersen; A. S. Fruchter; J. Gorosabel; S. T. Holland; C. Ledoux; H. Pedersen; J. Rhoads; M. Weidinger; R. A.M.J. Wijers

doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20030931

On the Lyα emission from gamma-ray burst host galaxies: Evidence for low metallicities

J. P.U. Fynbo, P. Jakobsson, P. Møller, J. Hjorth, B. Thomsen, M. I. Andersen, A. S. Fruchter, J. Gorosabel, S. T. Holland, C. Ledoux, H. Pedersen, J. Rhoads, M. Weidinger, R. A.M.J. Wijers

Arizona State University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter

131 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report on the results of a search for Lyα emission from the host galaxy of the z = 2.140 GRB 011211 and other galaxies in its surrounding field. We detect Lyα emission from the host as well as from six other galaxies in the field. The restframe equivalent width of the Lyα line from the GRB 011211 host is about 21 Å. This is the fifth detection of Lyα emission out of five possible detections from GRB host galaxies, strongly indicating that GRB hosts, at least at high redshifts, are Lyα emitters. This is intriguing as only ∼25% of the Lyman-Break selected galaxies at similar redshifts have Lyα emission lines with restframe equivalent width larger than 20 Å. Possible explanations are i) a preference for GRB progenitors to be metal-poor as expected in the collapsar model, ii) an optical afterglow selection bias against dusty hosts, and iii) a higher fraction of Lyα emitters at the faint end of the luminosity function for high-z galaxies. Of these, the current evidence seems to favour i).

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L63-L66
Journal	Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume	406
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20030931
State	Published - Aug 2003

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Keywords

Galaxies: high redshift
Gamma rays: bursts
Technique: photometric

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Cite this

Fynbo, J. P. U., Jakobsson, P., Møller, P., Hjorth, J., Thomsen, B., Andersen, M. I., Fruchter, A. S., Gorosabel, J., Holland, S. T., Ledoux, C., Pedersen, H., Rhoads, J., Weidinger, M., & Wijers, R. A. M. J. (2003). On the Lyα emission from gamma-ray burst host galaxies: Evidence for low metallicities. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 406(3), L63-L66. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20030931

On the Lyα emission from gamma-ray burst host galaxies : Evidence for low metallicities. / Fynbo, J. P.U.; Jakobsson, P.; Møller, P.; Hjorth, J.; Thomsen, B.; Andersen, M. I.; Fruchter, A. S.; Gorosabel, J.; Holland, S. T.; Ledoux, C.; Pedersen, H.; Rhoads, J.; Weidinger, M.; Wijers, R. A.M.J.

In: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Vol. 406, No. 3, 08.2003, p. L63-L66.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter

Fynbo, JPU, Jakobsson, P, Møller, P, Hjorth, J, Thomsen, B, Andersen, MI, Fruchter, AS, Gorosabel, J, Holland, ST, Ledoux, C, Pedersen, H, Rhoads, J, Weidinger, M & Wijers, RAMJ 2003, 'On the Lyα emission from gamma-ray burst host galaxies: Evidence for low metallicities', Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 406, no. 3, pp. L63-L66. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20030931

Fynbo, J. P.U. ; Jakobsson, P. ; Møller, P. ; Hjorth, J. ; Thomsen, B. ; Andersen, M. I. ; Fruchter, A. S. ; Gorosabel, J. ; Holland, S. T. ; Ledoux, C. ; Pedersen, H. ; Rhoads, J. ; Weidinger, M. ; Wijers, R. A.M.J. / On the Lyα emission from gamma-ray burst host galaxies : Evidence for low metallicities. In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. 2003 ; Vol. 406, No. 3. pp. L63-L66.

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abstract = "We report on the results of a search for Lyα emission from the host galaxy of the z = 2.140 GRB 011211 and other galaxies in its surrounding field. We detect Lyα emission from the host as well as from six other galaxies in the field. The restframe equivalent width of the Lyα line from the GRB 011211 host is about 21 {\AA}. This is the fifth detection of Lyα emission out of five possible detections from GRB host galaxies, strongly indicating that GRB hosts, at least at high redshifts, are Lyα emitters. This is intriguing as only ∼25% of the Lyman-Break selected galaxies at similar redshifts have Lyα emission lines with restframe equivalent width larger than 20 {\AA}. Possible explanations are i) a preference for GRB progenitors to be metal-poor as expected in the collapsar model, ii) an optical afterglow selection bias against dusty hosts, and iii) a higher fraction of Lyα emitters at the faint end of the luminosity function for high-z galaxies. Of these, the current evidence seems to favour i).",

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T1 - On the Lyα emission from gamma-ray burst host galaxies

T2 - Evidence for low metallicities

AU - Fynbo, J. P.U.

AU - Jakobsson, P.

AU - Møller, P.

AU - Hjorth, J.

AU - Thomsen, B.

AU - Andersen, M. I.

AU - Fruchter, A. S.

AU - Gorosabel, J.

AU - Holland, S. T.

AU - Ledoux, C.

AU - Pedersen, H.

AU - Rhoads, J.

AU - Weidinger, M.

AU - Wijers, R. A.M.J.

PY - 2003/8

Y1 - 2003/8

N2 - We report on the results of a search for Lyα emission from the host galaxy of the z = 2.140 GRB 011211 and other galaxies in its surrounding field. We detect Lyα emission from the host as well as from six other galaxies in the field. The restframe equivalent width of the Lyα line from the GRB 011211 host is about 21 Å. This is the fifth detection of Lyα emission out of five possible detections from GRB host galaxies, strongly indicating that GRB hosts, at least at high redshifts, are Lyα emitters. This is intriguing as only ∼25% of the Lyman-Break selected galaxies at similar redshifts have Lyα emission lines with restframe equivalent width larger than 20 Å. Possible explanations are i) a preference for GRB progenitors to be metal-poor as expected in the collapsar model, ii) an optical afterglow selection bias against dusty hosts, and iii) a higher fraction of Lyα emitters at the faint end of the luminosity function for high-z galaxies. Of these, the current evidence seems to favour i).

AB - We report on the results of a search for Lyα emission from the host galaxy of the z = 2.140 GRB 011211 and other galaxies in its surrounding field. We detect Lyα emission from the host as well as from six other galaxies in the field. The restframe equivalent width of the Lyα line from the GRB 011211 host is about 21 Å. This is the fifth detection of Lyα emission out of five possible detections from GRB host galaxies, strongly indicating that GRB hosts, at least at high redshifts, are Lyα emitters. This is intriguing as only ∼25% of the Lyman-Break selected galaxies at similar redshifts have Lyα emission lines with restframe equivalent width larger than 20 Å. Possible explanations are i) a preference for GRB progenitors to be metal-poor as expected in the collapsar model, ii) an optical afterglow selection bias against dusty hosts, and iii) a higher fraction of Lyα emitters at the faint end of the luminosity function for high-z galaxies. Of these, the current evidence seems to favour i).

KW - Galaxies: high redshift

KW - Gamma rays: bursts

KW - Technique: photometric

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10.1051/0004-6361:20030931