First IFU observations of two GRB host galaxies at cosmic noon with JWST/NIRSpec

Berk Topcu; Patricia Schady; Stijn Wuyts; Anne Inkenhaag; M. Arabsalmani; H. W. Chen; L. Christensen; V. D'elia; Johan P.U. Fynbo; K. E. Heintz; P. Jakobsson; T. Laskar; A.  Levan; G. Pugliese; A Rossi; R. L. C. Starling; Nial R. Tanvir; P. Wiseman; R.M. Yates

doi:10.1093/mnras/staf846

First IFU observations of two GRB host galaxies at cosmic noon with JWST/NIRSpec

Berk Topcu, Patricia Schady, Stijn Wuyts, Anne Inkenhaag, M. Arabsalmani, H. W. Chen, L. Christensen, V. D'elia, Johan P.U. Fynbo, K. E. Heintz, P. Jakobsson, T. Laskar, A. Levan, G. Pugliese, A Rossi, R. L. C. Starling, Nial R. Tanvir, P. Wiseman, R.M. Yates

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (SciVal)

Abstract

Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) serve as powerful probes of distant galaxies. Their luminous afterglow pinpoints galaxies independent of luminosity, in contrast to most flux-limited surveys. Nevertheless, GRB-selected galaxy samples are not free from bias, instead tracing the conditions favoured by the progenitor stars. Characterizing the galaxy populations traced by GRBs is therefore important both to effectively use GRBs as probes as well as to place stronger constraints on the progenitor stars capable of forming long GRBs. Spatially resolved spectroscopic observations with integral field units (IFUs) provide valuable insights into the interstellar medium and stellar populations of GRB host galaxies. In this paper, we present results of the first two GRB host galaxies observed with the JWST/Near-Infrared Spectrograph IFU with a spatial resolution of ∼ 1.6 kpc; the hosts of GRB 150403A and GRB 050820A at redshifts z ∼ 2.06 and ∼ 2.61, respectively. The data reveal two complex galaxy environments made up of two or more star-forming galaxies that are likely interacting given their small spatial separation (< 20 kpc) and line-of-sight velocity offsets (< 100 kms-1). The measured gas-phase metallicity, star formation rates (SFRs), and key diagnostic line ratios for each of the detected galaxies are overall consistent with the properties of other star-forming galaxies and GRB hosts at z > 2. However, differences in the SFR and metallicities of the interacting galaxies highlight the importance of spatially resolved observations in order to accurately characterize the galaxy properties traced by GRBs.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1844-1859
Number of pages	16
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	540
Issue number	2
Early online date	23 May 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf846
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2025

Data Availability Statement

The data underlying this article are available in the MAST Data Discovery Portal at https://stdatu.stsci.edu/datadownloads.html, and can be accessed with proposal ID 2344.

Funding

PS acknowledges support from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council, grant reference ST/X001067/1. AR acknowledges support by PRIN-MIUR 2017 (grant 20179ZF5KS). RLCS is supported by the Leverhulme Trust, grant RPG-2023-240. LC is supported by DFF/Independent Research Fund Denmark, grant-ID 2032-00071. The Cosmic Dawn Center is funded by the Danish National Research Foundation under grant DNRF140. This work makes use of the python packages numpy (v.1.26.4; Harris et al. 2020), matplotlib (v.3.8.0; Hunter 2007), uncertainties (v.3.1.7; http://pythonhosted.org/uncertainties), specutils (v.1.13.0; Earl et al. 2024), pandas (v.2.2.1; The pandas development team 2020) and astropy (v.5.3.4; Astropy Collaboration 2013, 2018, 2022). PS acknowledges support from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council, grant reference ST/X001067/1. AR acknowledges support by PRIN-MIUR 2017 (grant 20179ZF5KS). RLCS is supported by the Leverhulme Trust, grant RPG-2023-240. LC is supported by DFF/Independent Research Fund Denmark, grant-ID 2032\u201300071. The Cosmic Dawn Center is funded by the Danish National Research Foundation under grant DNRF140. This work makes use of the python packages numpy (v.1.26.4; Harris et al. ), matplotlib (v.3.8.0; Hunter ), uncertainties (v.3.1.7; http://pythonhosted.org/uncertainties ), specutils (v.1.13.0; Earl et al. ), pandas (v.2.2.1; The pandas development team ) and astropy (v.5.3.4; Astropy Collaboration , , ).

Funders	Funder number
pandas development team 2020
Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond	grant-ID 2032–00071, 2032-00071
Science and Technology Facilities Council	20179ZF5KS, ST/X001067/1
The Leverhulme Trust	RPG-2023-240
Danmarks Grundforskningsfond	2024, DNRF140, 2020

Keywords

galaxies: ISM
galaxies: abundances
galaxies: high-redshift
galaxies: kinematics and dynamics
gamma-ray burst: general
gamma-ray-burst: individual: GRB 050820A and GRB 150403A

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Access to Document

10.1093/mnras/staf846Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Topcu, B., Schady, P., Wuyts, S., Inkenhaag, A., Arabsalmani, M., Chen, H. W., Christensen, L., D'elia, V., Fynbo, J. P. U., Heintz, K. E., Jakobsson, P., Laskar, T., Levan, A., Pugliese, G., Rossi, A., Starling, R. L. C., Tanvir, N. R., Wiseman, P., & Yates, R. M. (2025). First IFU observations of two GRB host galaxies at cosmic noon with JWST/NIRSpec. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 540(2), 1844-1859. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf846

Topcu, B, Schady, P, Wuyts, S , Inkenhaag, A, Arabsalmani, M, Chen, HW, Christensen, L, D'elia, V, Fynbo, JPU, Heintz, KE, Jakobsson, P, Laskar, T, Levan, A, Pugliese, G, Rossi, A, Starling, RLC, Tanvir, NR, Wiseman, P & Yates, RM 2025, 'First IFU observations of two GRB host galaxies at cosmic noon with JWST/NIRSpec', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 540, no. 2, pp. 1844-1859. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf846

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title = "First IFU observations of two GRB host galaxies at cosmic noon with JWST/NIRSpec",

abstract = "Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) serve as powerful probes of distant galaxies. Their luminous afterglow pinpoints galaxies independent of luminosity, in contrast to most flux-limited surveys. Nevertheless, GRB-selected galaxy samples are not free from bias, instead tracing the conditions favoured by the progenitor stars. Characterizing the galaxy populations traced by GRBs is therefore important both to effectively use GRBs as probes as well as to place stronger constraints on the progenitor stars capable of forming long GRBs. Spatially resolved spectroscopic observations with integral field units (IFUs) provide valuable insights into the interstellar medium and stellar populations of GRB host galaxies. In this paper, we present results of the first two GRB host galaxies observed with the JWST/Near-Infrared Spectrograph IFU with a spatial resolution of ∼ 1.6 kpc; the hosts of GRB 150403A and GRB 050820A at redshifts z ∼ 2.06 and ∼ 2.61, respectively. The data reveal two complex galaxy environments made up of two or more star-forming galaxies that are likely interacting given their small spatial separation (< 20 kpc) and line-of-sight velocity offsets (< 100 kms-1). The measured gas-phase metallicity, star formation rates (SFRs), and key diagnostic line ratios for each of the detected galaxies are overall consistent with the properties of other star-forming galaxies and GRB hosts at z > 2. However, differences in the SFR and metallicities of the interacting galaxies highlight the importance of spatially resolved observations in order to accurately characterize the galaxy properties traced by GRBs.",

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AU - Topcu, Berk

AU - Schady, Patricia

AU - Wuyts, Stijn

AU - Inkenhaag, Anne

AU - Arabsalmani, M.

AU - Chen, H. W.

AU - Christensen, L.

AU - D'elia, V.

AU - Fynbo, Johan P.U.

AU - Heintz, K. E.

AU - Jakobsson, P.

AU - Laskar, T.

AU - Levan, A.

AU - Pugliese, G.

AU - Rossi, A

AU - Starling, R. L. C.

AU - Tanvir, Nial R.

AU - Wiseman, P.

AU - Yates, R.M.

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AB - Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) serve as powerful probes of distant galaxies. Their luminous afterglow pinpoints galaxies independent of luminosity, in contrast to most flux-limited surveys. Nevertheless, GRB-selected galaxy samples are not free from bias, instead tracing the conditions favoured by the progenitor stars. Characterizing the galaxy populations traced by GRBs is therefore important both to effectively use GRBs as probes as well as to place stronger constraints on the progenitor stars capable of forming long GRBs. Spatially resolved spectroscopic observations with integral field units (IFUs) provide valuable insights into the interstellar medium and stellar populations of GRB host galaxies. In this paper, we present results of the first two GRB host galaxies observed with the JWST/Near-Infrared Spectrograph IFU with a spatial resolution of ∼ 1.6 kpc; the hosts of GRB 150403A and GRB 050820A at redshifts z ∼ 2.06 and ∼ 2.61, respectively. The data reveal two complex galaxy environments made up of two or more star-forming galaxies that are likely interacting given their small spatial separation (< 20 kpc) and line-of-sight velocity offsets (< 100 kms-1). The measured gas-phase metallicity, star formation rates (SFRs), and key diagnostic line ratios for each of the detected galaxies are overall consistent with the properties of other star-forming galaxies and GRB hosts at z > 2. However, differences in the SFR and metallicities of the interacting galaxies highlight the importance of spatially resolved observations in order to accurately characterize the galaxy properties traced by GRBs.

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KW - galaxies: abundances

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KW - galaxies: kinematics and dynamics

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KW - gamma-ray-burst: individual: GRB 050820A and GRB 150403A

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First IFU observations of two GRB host galaxies at cosmic noon with JWST/NIRSpec

Abstract

Data Availability Statement

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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Astrophysics at the University of Bath 2023-2026

Cite this

First IFU observations of two GRB host galaxies at cosmic noon with JWST/NIRSpec

Abstract

Data Availability Statement

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Astrophysics at the University of Bath 2023-2026

Cite this