TY - JOUR
T1 - A revised host galaxy association for GRB 020819B
T2 - a high-redshift dusty starburst, not a low-redshift gas-poor spiral
AU - Perley, Daniel A.
AU - Krühler, Thomas
AU - Schady, Patricia
AU - Michalowski, Michal J.
AU - Thöne, Christina C.
AU - Petry, Dirk
AU - Graham, John F.
AU - Greiner, Jochen
AU - Klose, Sylvio
AU - Schulze, Steve
AU - Kim, Sam
PY - 2017/2/1
Y1 - 2017/2/1
N2 - The purported spiral host galaxy of GRB 020819B at z = 0.41 has been seminal in establishing our view of the diversity of long-duration gamma-ray burst environments: Optical spectroscopy of this host provided evidence that gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can form even at high metallicities, whereas millimetric observations suggested that GRBs may preferentially form in regions with minimal molecular gas. We report new observations from the Very Large Telescope (Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer and X-shooter), which demonstrate that the purported host is an unrelated foreground galaxy. The probable radio afterglow is coincident with a compact, highly star forming, dusty galaxy at z = 1.9621. The revised redshift naturally explains the apparent non-detection of CO(3–2) line emission at the afterglow site from the Atacama Large Millimetre Observatory. There is no evidence that molecular gas properties in GRB host galaxies are unusual, and limited evidence that GRBs can form readily at a super-Solar metallicity.
AB - The purported spiral host galaxy of GRB 020819B at z = 0.41 has been seminal in establishing our view of the diversity of long-duration gamma-ray burst environments: Optical spectroscopy of this host provided evidence that gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can form even at high metallicities, whereas millimetric observations suggested that GRBs may preferentially form in regions with minimal molecular gas. We report new observations from the Very Large Telescope (Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer and X-shooter), which demonstrate that the purported host is an unrelated foreground galaxy. The probable radio afterglow is coincident with a compact, highly star forming, dusty galaxy at z = 1.9621. The revised redshift naturally explains the apparent non-detection of CO(3–2) line emission at the afterglow site from the Atacama Large Millimetre Observatory. There is no evidence that molecular gas properties in GRB host galaxies are unusual, and limited evidence that GRBs can form readily at a super-Solar metallicity.
KW - gamma-ray burst: individual: GRB 020819B, Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena, Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85010462929
U2 - 10.1093/mnrasl/slw221
DO - 10.1093/mnrasl/slw221
M3 - Article
SN - 0035-8711
VL - 465
SP - L89-L93
JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
IS - 1
ER -