GRB3 - GRBs and Host Galaxies |
Speaker_ |
Starling, Rhaana |
Co-autors |
J.P.U. Fynbo, P. Vreeswijk, S. Ellison, C. Ledoux, K. Wiersema |
Talk _ |
Probing high redshift galaxies through optical afterglow spectra |
Abstract _ |
Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs) have been seen out to z=6.29. They enable the discovery of a population of distant, faint, star-forming galaxies in which they lie, not picked up by flux-limited surveys. Hence GRBs are a unique tool to probe cosmic chemical evolution and star-formation history. Absorption features imprinted on the bright optical afterglows reveal the conditions in the host galaxies. Metallicities, Z, spanning 0.01--0.1 Z_sun have now been measured in the spectra of several z>2 afterglows. Here I will discuss this exciting branch of GRB host studies and present 2 interesting cases in detail: GRB 060206 and GRB 050730. |