Spectroscopy of the short-hard GRB 130603B: The host galaxy and environment of a compact object merger

A. de Ugarte Postigo; C. C. Thoene; A. Rowlinson; R. Garcia-Benito; A. J. Levan; J. Gorosabel; P. Goldoni; S. Schulze; T. Zafar; K. Wiersema; R. Sanchez-Ramirez; A. Melandri; P. D'Avanzo; S. Oates; V. D'Elia; M. De Pasquale; T. Kruehler; A. J. van der Horst; Dong Xu; D. Watson; S. Piranomonte; S. Vergani; B. Milvang-Jensen; L. Kaper; D. Malesani; J. P. U. Fynbo; Z. Cano; S. Covino; H. Flores; S. Greiss; F. Hammer; O. E. Hartoog; S. Hellmich; C. Heuser; J. Hjorth; P. Jakobsson; S. Mottola; M. Sparre; J. Sollerman; G. Tagliaferri; N. R. Tanvir; Marianne Vestergaard; R. A. M. J. Wijers

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201322985

Spectroscopy of the short-hard GRB 130603B: The host galaxy and environment of a compact object merger

A. de Ugarte Postigo, C. C. Thoene, A. Rowlinson, R. Garcia-Benito, A. J. Levan, J. Gorosabel, P. Goldoni, S. Schulze, T. Zafar, K. Wiersema, R. Sanchez-Ramirez, A. Melandri, P. D'Avanzo, S. Oates, V. D'Elia, M. De Pasquale, T. Kruehler, A. J. van der Horst, Dong Xu, D. WatsonS. Piranomonte, S. Vergani, B. Milvang-Jensen, L. Kaper, D. Malesani, J. P. U. Fynbo, Z. Cano, S. Covino, H. Flores, S. Greiss, F. Hammer, O. E. Hartoog, S. Hellmich, C. Heuser, J. Hjorth, P. Jakobsson, S. Mottola, M. Sparre, J. Sollerman, G. Tagliaferri, N. R. Tanvir, Marianne Vestergaard, R. A. M. J. Wijers

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Abstract

Context. Short duration gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) are thought to be related to the violent merger of compact objects, such as neutron stars or black holes, which makes them promising sources of gravitational waves. The detection of a "kilonova"-likesignature associated to the Swift-detected GRB 130603B has suggested that this event is the result of a compact object merger. Aims. Our knowledge on SGRB has been, until now, mostly based on the absence of supernova signatures and the analysis of the host galaxies to which they cannot always be securely associated. Further progress has been significantly hampered by the faintness and rapid fading of their optical counterparts (afterglows), which has so far precluded spectroscopy of such events. Afterglow spectroscopy is the key tool to firmly determine the distance at which the burst was produced, crucial to understand its physics, and study its local environment. Methods. Here we present the first spectra of a prototypical SGRB afterglow in which both absorption and emission features are clearly detected. Together with multi-wavelength photometry we study the host and environment of GRB 130603B. Results. From these spectra we determine the redshift of the burst to be z = 0.3565 ± 0.0002, measure rich dynamics both in absorption and emission, and a substantial line of sight extinction of A_V = 0.86 ± 0.15 mag. The GRB was located at the edge of a disrupted arm of a moderately star forming galaxy with near-solar metallicity. Unlike for most long GRBs (LGRBs), N_HX/A_V is consistent with the Galactic ratio, indicating that the explosion site differs from those found in LGRBs. Conclusions. The merger is not associated with the most star-forming region of the galaxy; however, it did occur in a dense region, implying a rapid merger or a low natal kick velocity for the compact object binary.

Original language	English
Article number	A62
Journal	Astronomy & Astrophysics
Volume	563
ISSN	0004-6361
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201322985
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2014

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Postigo, A. D. U., Thoene, C. C., Rowlinson, A., Garcia-Benito, R., Levan, A. J., Gorosabel, J., Goldoni, P., Schulze, S., Zafar, T., Wiersema, K., Sanchez-Ramirez, R., Melandri, A., D'Avanzo, P., Oates, S., D'Elia, V., Pasquale, M. D., Kruehler, T., Horst, A. J. V. D., Xu, D., ... Wijers, R. A. M. J. (2014). Spectroscopy of the short-hard GRB 130603B: The host galaxy and environment of a compact object merger. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 563, Article A62. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201322985

Postigo, ADU, Thoene, CC, Rowlinson, A, Garcia-Benito, R, Levan, AJ, Gorosabel, J, Goldoni, P, Schulze, S, Zafar, T, Wiersema, K, Sanchez-Ramirez, R, Melandri, A, D'Avanzo, P, Oates, S, D'Elia, V, Pasquale, MD, Kruehler, T, Horst, AJVD, Xu, D, Watson, D, Piranomonte, S, Vergani, S, Milvang-Jensen, B, Kaper, L, Malesani, D , Fynbo, JPU, Cano, Z, Covino, S, Flores, H, Greiss, S, Hammer, F, Hartoog, OE, Hellmich, S, Heuser, C, Hjorth, J, Jakobsson, P, Mottola, S, Sparre, M, Sollerman, J, Tagliaferri, G, Tanvir, NR, Vestergaard, M & Wijers, RAMJ 2014, 'Spectroscopy of the short-hard GRB 130603B: The host galaxy and environment of a compact object merger', Astronomy & Astrophysics, vol. 563, A62. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201322985

@article{b3a0b87c04f94593b0d7dd3340ca9e7b,

title = "Spectroscopy of the short-hard GRB 130603B: The host galaxy and environment of a compact object merger",

abstract = "Context. Short duration gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) are thought to be related to the violent merger of compact objects, such as neutron stars or black holes, which makes them promising sources of gravitational waves. The detection of a {"}kilonova{"}-likesignature associated to the Swift-detected GRB 130603B has suggested that this event is the result of a compact object merger. Aims. Our knowledge on SGRB has been, until now, mostly based on the absence of supernova signatures and the analysis of the host galaxies to which they cannot always be securely associated. Further progress has been significantly hampered by the faintness and rapid fading of their optical counterparts (afterglows), which has so far precluded spectroscopy of such events. Afterglow spectroscopy is the key tool to firmly determine the distance at which the burst was produced, crucial to understand its physics, and study its local environment. Methods. Here we present the first spectra of a prototypical SGRB afterglow in which both absorption and emission features are clearly detected. Together with multi-wavelength photometry we study the host and environment of GRB 130603B. Results. From these spectra we determine the redshift of the burst to be z = 0.3565 ± 0.0002, measure rich dynamics both in absorption and emission, and a substantial line of sight extinction of AV = 0.86 ± 0.15 mag. The GRB was located at the edge of a disrupted arm of a moderately star forming galaxy with near-solar metallicity. Unlike for most long GRBs (LGRBs), NHX/AV is consistent with the Galactic ratio, indicating that the explosion site differs from those found in LGRBs. Conclusions. The merger is not associated with the most star-forming region of the galaxy; however, it did occur in a dense region, implying a rapid merger or a low natal kick velocity for the compact object binary.",

keywords = "astro-ph.CO, astro-ph.HE",

author = "Postigo, {A. de Ugarte} and Thoene, {C. C.} and A. Rowlinson and R. Garcia-Benito and Levan, {A. J.} and J. Gorosabel and P. Goldoni and S. Schulze and T. Zafar and K. Wiersema and R. Sanchez-Ramirez and A. Melandri and P. D'Avanzo and S. Oates and V. D'Elia and Pasquale, {M. De} and T. Kruehler and Horst, {A. J. van der} and Dong Xu and D. Watson and S. Piranomonte and S. Vergani and B. Milvang-Jensen and L. Kaper and D. Malesani and Fynbo, {J. P. U.} and Z. Cano and S. Covino and H. Flores and S. Greiss and F. Hammer and Hartoog, {O. E.} and S. Hellmich and C. Heuser and J. Hjorth and P. Jakobsson and S. Mottola and M. Sparre and J. Sollerman and G. Tagliaferri and Tanvir, {N. R.} and Marianne Vestergaard and Wijers, {R. A. M. J.}",

year = "2014",

month = mar,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1051/0004-6361/201322985",

language = "English",

volume = "563",

journal = "Astronomy & Astrophysics",

issn = "0004-6361",

publisher = "E D P Sciences",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Spectroscopy of the short-hard GRB 130603B

T2 - The host galaxy and environment of a compact object merger

AU - Postigo, A. de Ugarte

AU - Thoene, C. C.

AU - Rowlinson, A.

AU - Garcia-Benito, R.

AU - Levan, A. J.

AU - Gorosabel, J.

AU - Goldoni, P.

AU - Schulze, S.

AU - Zafar, T.

AU - Wiersema, K.

AU - Sanchez-Ramirez, R.

AU - Melandri, A.

AU - D'Avanzo, P.

AU - Oates, S.

AU - D'Elia, V.

AU - Pasquale, M. De

AU - Kruehler, T.

AU - Horst, A. J. van der

AU - Xu, Dong

AU - Watson, D.

AU - Piranomonte, S.

AU - Vergani, S.

AU - Milvang-Jensen, B.

AU - Kaper, L.

AU - Malesani, D.

AU - Fynbo, J. P. U.

AU - Cano, Z.

AU - Covino, S.

AU - Flores, H.

AU - Greiss, S.

AU - Hammer, F.

AU - Hartoog, O. E.

AU - Hellmich, S.

AU - Heuser, C.

AU - Hjorth, J.

AU - Jakobsson, P.

AU - Mottola, S.

AU - Sparre, M.

AU - Sollerman, J.

AU - Tagliaferri, G.

AU - Tanvir, N. R.

AU - Vestergaard, Marianne

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

PY - 2014/3/1

Y1 - 2014/3/1

N2 - Context. Short duration gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) are thought to be related to the violent merger of compact objects, such as neutron stars or black holes, which makes them promising sources of gravitational waves. The detection of a "kilonova"-likesignature associated to the Swift-detected GRB 130603B has suggested that this event is the result of a compact object merger. Aims. Our knowledge on SGRB has been, until now, mostly based on the absence of supernova signatures and the analysis of the host galaxies to which they cannot always be securely associated. Further progress has been significantly hampered by the faintness and rapid fading of their optical counterparts (afterglows), which has so far precluded spectroscopy of such events. Afterglow spectroscopy is the key tool to firmly determine the distance at which the burst was produced, crucial to understand its physics, and study its local environment. Methods. Here we present the first spectra of a prototypical SGRB afterglow in which both absorption and emission features are clearly detected. Together with multi-wavelength photometry we study the host and environment of GRB 130603B. Results. From these spectra we determine the redshift of the burst to be z = 0.3565 ± 0.0002, measure rich dynamics both in absorption and emission, and a substantial line of sight extinction of AV = 0.86 ± 0.15 mag. The GRB was located at the edge of a disrupted arm of a moderately star forming galaxy with near-solar metallicity. Unlike for most long GRBs (LGRBs), NHX/AV is consistent with the Galactic ratio, indicating that the explosion site differs from those found in LGRBs. Conclusions. The merger is not associated with the most star-forming region of the galaxy; however, it did occur in a dense region, implying a rapid merger or a low natal kick velocity for the compact object binary.

AB - Context. Short duration gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) are thought to be related to the violent merger of compact objects, such as neutron stars or black holes, which makes them promising sources of gravitational waves. The detection of a "kilonova"-likesignature associated to the Swift-detected GRB 130603B has suggested that this event is the result of a compact object merger. Aims. Our knowledge on SGRB has been, until now, mostly based on the absence of supernova signatures and the analysis of the host galaxies to which they cannot always be securely associated. Further progress has been significantly hampered by the faintness and rapid fading of their optical counterparts (afterglows), which has so far precluded spectroscopy of such events. Afterglow spectroscopy is the key tool to firmly determine the distance at which the burst was produced, crucial to understand its physics, and study its local environment. Methods. Here we present the first spectra of a prototypical SGRB afterglow in which both absorption and emission features are clearly detected. Together with multi-wavelength photometry we study the host and environment of GRB 130603B. Results. From these spectra we determine the redshift of the burst to be z = 0.3565 ± 0.0002, measure rich dynamics both in absorption and emission, and a substantial line of sight extinction of AV = 0.86 ± 0.15 mag. The GRB was located at the edge of a disrupted arm of a moderately star forming galaxy with near-solar metallicity. Unlike for most long GRBs (LGRBs), NHX/AV is consistent with the Galactic ratio, indicating that the explosion site differs from those found in LGRBs. Conclusions. The merger is not associated with the most star-forming region of the galaxy; however, it did occur in a dense region, implying a rapid merger or a low natal kick velocity for the compact object binary.

KW - astro-ph.CO

KW - astro-ph.HE

U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/201322985

DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/201322985

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0004-6361

VL - 563

JO - Astronomy & Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy & Astrophysics

M1 - A62

ER -

Spectroscopy of the short-hard GRB 130603B: The host galaxy and environment of a compact object merger

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