Hubble Space Telescope STIS observations of GRB 000301C: CCD imaging and near-ultraviolet MAMA spectroscopy

A. Smette; A.S. Fruchter; T.R. Gull; K.C. Sahu; L. Petro; H. Ferguson; J. Rhoads; D.J. Lindler; R. Gibbons; D.W. Hogg; C. Kouveliotou; M. Livio; D. Macchetto; M.R. Metzger; H. Pedersen; E. Pian; S.E. Thorsett; R.A.M.J. Wijers; J.P.U. Fynbo; J. Gorosabel; J. Hjorth; B.L. Jensen; A. Levine; D.A. Smith; T. Cline; K. Hurley; J. Trombka

doi:10.1086/321585

Hubble Space Telescope STIS observations of GRB 000301C: CCD imaging and near-ultraviolet MAMA spectroscopy

A. Smette, A.S. Fruchter, T.R. Gull, K.C. Sahu, L. Petro, H. Ferguson, J. Rhoads, D.J. Lindler, R. Gibbons, D.W. Hogg, C. Kouveliotou, M. Livio, D. Macchetto, M.R. Metzger, H. Pedersen, E. Pian, S.E. Thorsett, R.A.M.J. Wijers, J.P.U. Fynbo, J. GorosabelJ. Hjorth, B.L. Jensen, A. Levine, D.A. Smith, T. Cline, K. Hurley, J. Trombka

National Space Institute

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

We present Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph observations of the optical transient (OT) counterpart of the c-ray burster GRB 000301C obtained 5 days after the burst, on 2000 March 6. CCD clear-aperture imaging reveals a R similar or equal to 21.50 +/- 0.15 source with no apparent host galaxy. An 8000 s, 1150 Angstrom < <2200 near-ultraviolet MAMA prism spectrum shows a flat or slightly rising continuum (in f(lambda)) between 2800 and 3300 Angstrom, with a mean flux of (8.7(-1.6)(+0.8) +/- 2.6) x 10(-18) ergs s(-1) cm(-2) Angstrom (-1), and a sharp break centered at 2797 +/- 25 Angstrom. We interpret this as the H I Lyman break at z = 2.067 +/- 0.025, indicating the presence of a cloud with an H I column density log N-HI(cm(2)) > 18 on the line of sight to the OT. This measured redshift is conservatively a lower limit to the GRB redshift. However, as all other GRBs that have deep Hubble Space Telescope images appear to lie on the stellar field of a host galaxy, and as the large H I column density measured here and in later ground-based observations is unlikely on a random line of sight, we believe we are probably seeing absorption from H I in the host galaxy. In any case, this represents the largest direct redshift determination of a c-ray burster to date. Our data are compatible with an OT spectrum represented by a power law with an intrinsic index alpha = 1.2 (f(nu) proportional to nu (-alpha)) and no extinction in the host galaxy, or with alpha = 0.5 and extinction by SMC-like dust in the OT rest frame with A(V) = 0.15. The large N-HI and the lack of a detected host are similar to the situation for damped Ly alpha absorbers at z > 2.

Original language	English
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	556
Issue number	1
Pages (from-to)	70-76
ISSN	0004-637X
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/321585
Publication status	Published - 2001

Keywords

gamma rays : bursts

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10.1086/321585

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Smette, A., Fruchter, A. S., Gull, T. R., Sahu, K. C., Petro, L., Ferguson, H., Rhoads, J., Lindler, D. J., Gibbons, R., Hogg, D. W., Kouveliotou, C., Livio, M., Macchetto, D., Metzger, M. R., Pedersen, H., Pian, E., Thorsett, S. E., Wijers, R. A. M. J., Fynbo, J. P. U., ... Trombka, J. (2001). Hubble Space Telescope STIS observations of GRB 000301C: CCD imaging and near-ultraviolet MAMA spectroscopy. Astrophysical Journal, 556(1), 70-76. https://doi.org/10.1086/321585

Smette, A. ; Fruchter, A.S. ; Gull, T.R. ; Sahu, K.C. ; Petro, L. ; Ferguson, H. ; Rhoads, J. ; Lindler, D.J. ; Gibbons, R. ; Hogg, D.W. ; Kouveliotou, C. ; Livio, M. ; Macchetto, D. ; Metzger, M.R. ; Pedersen, H. ; Pian, E. ; Thorsett, S.E. ; Wijers, R.A.M.J. ; Fynbo, J.P.U. ; Gorosabel, J. ; Hjorth, J. ; Jensen, B.L. ; Levine, A. ; Smith, D.A. ; Cline, T. ; Hurley, K. ; Trombka, J. / Hubble Space Telescope STIS observations of GRB 000301C: CCD imaging and near-ultraviolet MAMA spectroscopy. In: Astrophysical Journal. 2001 ; Vol. 556, No. 1. pp. 70-76.

@article{a4909b06e0c54889bc90b641e8ed561a,

title = "Hubble Space Telescope STIS observations of GRB 000301C: CCD imaging and near-ultraviolet MAMA spectroscopy",

abstract = "We present Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph observations of the optical transient (OT) counterpart of the c-ray burster GRB 000301C obtained 5 days after the burst, on 2000 March 6. CCD clear-aperture imaging reveals a R similar or equal to 21.50 +/- 0.15 source with no apparent host galaxy. An 8000 s, 1150 Angstrom < <2200 near-ultraviolet MAMA prism spectrum shows a flat or slightly rising continuum (in f(lambda)) between 2800 and 3300 Angstrom, with a mean flux of (8.7(-1.6)(+0.8) +/- 2.6) x 10(-18) ergs s(-1) cm(-2) Angstrom (-1), and a sharp break centered at 2797 +/- 25 Angstrom. We interpret this as the H I Lyman break at z = 2.067 +/- 0.025, indicating the presence of a cloud with an H I column density log N-HI(cm(2)) > 18 on the line of sight to the OT. This measured redshift is conservatively a lower limit to the GRB redshift. However, as all other GRBs that have deep Hubble Space Telescope images appear to lie on the stellar field of a host galaxy, and as the large H I column density measured here and in later ground-based observations is unlikely on a random line of sight, we believe we are probably seeing absorption from H I in the host galaxy. In any case, this represents the largest direct redshift determination of a c-ray burster to date. Our data are compatible with an OT spectrum represented by a power law with an intrinsic index alpha = 1.2 (f(nu) proportional to nu (-alpha)) and no extinction in the host galaxy, or with alpha = 0.5 and extinction by SMC-like dust in the OT rest frame with A(V) = 0.15. The large N-HI and the lack of a detected host are similar to the situation for damped Ly alpha absorbers at z > 2.",

keywords = "gamma rays : bursts",

author = "A. Smette and A.S. Fruchter and T.R. Gull and K.C. Sahu and L. Petro and H. Ferguson and J. Rhoads and D.J. Lindler and R. Gibbons and D.W. Hogg and C. Kouveliotou and M. Livio and D. Macchetto and M.R. Metzger and H. Pedersen and E. Pian and S.E. Thorsett and R.A.M.J. Wijers and J.P.U. Fynbo and J. Gorosabel and J. Hjorth and B.L. Jensen and A. Levine and D.A. Smith and T. Cline and K. Hurley and J. Trombka",

year = "2001",

doi = "10.1086/321585",

language = "English",

volume = "556",

pages = "70--76",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "IOP Publishing",

number = "1",

}

Smette, A, Fruchter, AS, Gull, TR, Sahu, KC, Petro, L, Ferguson, H, Rhoads, J, Lindler, DJ, Gibbons, R, Hogg, DW, Kouveliotou, C, Livio, M, Macchetto, D, Metzger, MR, Pedersen, H, Pian, E, Thorsett, SE, Wijers, RAMJ, Fynbo, JPU, Gorosabel, J, Hjorth, J, Jensen, BL, Levine, A, Smith, DA, Cline, T, Hurley, K & Trombka, J 2001, 'Hubble Space Telescope STIS observations of GRB 000301C: CCD imaging and near-ultraviolet MAMA spectroscopy', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 556, no. 1, pp. 70-76. https://doi.org/10.1086/321585

Hubble Space Telescope STIS observations of GRB 000301C: CCD imaging and near-ultraviolet MAMA spectroscopy. / Smette, A.; Fruchter, A.S.; Gull, T.R.; Sahu, K.C.; Petro, L.; Ferguson, H.; Rhoads, J.; Lindler, D.J.; Gibbons, R.; Hogg, D.W.; Kouveliotou, C.; Livio, M.; Macchetto, D.; Metzger, M.R.; Pedersen, H.; Pian, E.; Thorsett, S.E.; Wijers, R.A.M.J.; Fynbo, J.P.U.; Gorosabel, J.; Hjorth, J.; Jensen, B.L.; Levine, A.; Smith, D.A.; Cline, T.; Hurley, K.; Trombka, J.

In: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 556, No. 1, 2001, p. 70-76.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Hubble Space Telescope STIS observations of GRB 000301C: CCD imaging and near-ultraviolet MAMA spectroscopy

AU - Smette, A.

AU - Fruchter, A.S.

AU - Gull, T.R.

AU - Sahu, K.C.

AU - Petro, L.

AU - Ferguson, H.

AU - Rhoads, J.

AU - Lindler, D.J.

AU - Gibbons, R.

AU - Hogg, D.W.

AU - Kouveliotou, C.

AU - Livio, M.

AU - Macchetto, D.

AU - Metzger, M.R.

AU - Pedersen, H.

AU - Pian, E.

AU - Thorsett, S.E.

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

AU - Fynbo, J.P.U.

AU - Gorosabel, J.

AU - Hjorth, J.

AU - Jensen, B.L.

AU - Levine, A.

AU - Smith, D.A.

AU - Cline, T.

AU - Hurley, K.

AU - Trombka, J.

PY - 2001

Y1 - 2001

N2 - We present Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph observations of the optical transient (OT) counterpart of the c-ray burster GRB 000301C obtained 5 days after the burst, on 2000 March 6. CCD clear-aperture imaging reveals a R similar or equal to 21.50 +/- 0.15 source with no apparent host galaxy. An 8000 s, 1150 Angstrom < <2200 near-ultraviolet MAMA prism spectrum shows a flat or slightly rising continuum (in f(lambda)) between 2800 and 3300 Angstrom, with a mean flux of (8.7(-1.6)(+0.8) +/- 2.6) x 10(-18) ergs s(-1) cm(-2) Angstrom (-1), and a sharp break centered at 2797 +/- 25 Angstrom. We interpret this as the H I Lyman break at z = 2.067 +/- 0.025, indicating the presence of a cloud with an H I column density log N-HI(cm(2)) > 18 on the line of sight to the OT. This measured redshift is conservatively a lower limit to the GRB redshift. However, as all other GRBs that have deep Hubble Space Telescope images appear to lie on the stellar field of a host galaxy, and as the large H I column density measured here and in later ground-based observations is unlikely on a random line of sight, we believe we are probably seeing absorption from H I in the host galaxy. In any case, this represents the largest direct redshift determination of a c-ray burster to date. Our data are compatible with an OT spectrum represented by a power law with an intrinsic index alpha = 1.2 (f(nu) proportional to nu (-alpha)) and no extinction in the host galaxy, or with alpha = 0.5 and extinction by SMC-like dust in the OT rest frame with A(V) = 0.15. The large N-HI and the lack of a detected host are similar to the situation for damped Ly alpha absorbers at z > 2.

AB - We present Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph observations of the optical transient (OT) counterpart of the c-ray burster GRB 000301C obtained 5 days after the burst, on 2000 March 6. CCD clear-aperture imaging reveals a R similar or equal to 21.50 +/- 0.15 source with no apparent host galaxy. An 8000 s, 1150 Angstrom < <2200 near-ultraviolet MAMA prism spectrum shows a flat or slightly rising continuum (in f(lambda)) between 2800 and 3300 Angstrom, with a mean flux of (8.7(-1.6)(+0.8) +/- 2.6) x 10(-18) ergs s(-1) cm(-2) Angstrom (-1), and a sharp break centered at 2797 +/- 25 Angstrom. We interpret this as the H I Lyman break at z = 2.067 +/- 0.025, indicating the presence of a cloud with an H I column density log N-HI(cm(2)) > 18 on the line of sight to the OT. This measured redshift is conservatively a lower limit to the GRB redshift. However, as all other GRBs that have deep Hubble Space Telescope images appear to lie on the stellar field of a host galaxy, and as the large H I column density measured here and in later ground-based observations is unlikely on a random line of sight, we believe we are probably seeing absorption from H I in the host galaxy. In any case, this represents the largest direct redshift determination of a c-ray burster to date. Our data are compatible with an OT spectrum represented by a power law with an intrinsic index alpha = 1.2 (f(nu) proportional to nu (-alpha)) and no extinction in the host galaxy, or with alpha = 0.5 and extinction by SMC-like dust in the OT rest frame with A(V) = 0.15. The large N-HI and the lack of a detected host are similar to the situation for damped Ly alpha absorbers at z > 2.

KW - gamma rays : bursts

U2 - 10.1086/321585

DO - 10.1086/321585

M3 - Journal article

VL - 556

SP - 70

EP - 76

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

SN - 0004-637X

IS - 1

ER -