TY - JOUR

T1 - GRB 160410A

T2 - The first chemical study of the interstellar medium of a short GRB

AU - Fernandez, J. F. Aguei

AU - Thone, C. C.

AU - Kann, D. A.

AU - Postigo, A. de Ugarte

AU - Selsing, J.

AU - Schady, P.

AU - Yates, R. M.

AU - Greiner, J.

AU - Oates, S. R.

AU - Malesani, D. B.

AU - Xu, D.

AU - Klotz, A.

AU - Campana, S.

AU - Rossi, A.

AU - Perley, D. A.

AU - Blazek, M.

AU - D'Avanzo, P.

AU - Giunta, A.

AU - Hartmann, D.

AU - Heintz, K. E.

AU - Jakobsson, P.

AU - Kirkpatrick, C. C.

AU - Kouveliotou, C.

AU - Melandri, A.

AU - Pugliese, G.

AU - Salvaterra, R.

AU - Starling, R. L. C.

AU - Tanvir, N. R.

AU - Vergani, S. D.

AU - Wiersema, K.

PY - 2023/1/28

Y1 - 2023/1/28

N2 - Short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) are produced by the coalescence of compact binary systems which are remnants of massive stars. GRB 160410A is classified as a short-duration GRB with extended emission and is currently the farthest SGRB with a redshift determined from an afterglow spectrum and also one of the brightest SGRBs to date. The fast reaction to the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory alert allowed us to obtain a spectrum of the afterglow using the X-shooter spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope (VLT). The spectrum shows several absorption features at a redshift of z = 1.7177, in addition, we detect two intervening systems at z = 1.581 and z = 1.444. The spectrum shows Ly alpha in absorption with a column density of log (N(H i)/cm(2)) = 21.2 +/- 0.2 which, together with Fe ii, C ii, Si ii, Al ii, and O i, allow us to perform the first study of chemical abundances in a SGRB host galaxy. We determine a metallicity of [X/H] = -2.3 +/- 0.2 for Fe ii and -2.5 +/- 0.2 for Si ii and no dust depletion. We also find no evidence for extinction in the afterglow spectral energy distribution modelling. The environment has a low degree of ionization and the C iv and Si iv lines are completely absent. We do not detect an underlying host galaxy down to deep limits. Additionally, we compare GRB 160410A to GRB 201221D, another high-z short GRB that shows absorption lines at z = 1.045 and an underlying massive host galaxy.

AB - Short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) are produced by the coalescence of compact binary systems which are remnants of massive stars. GRB 160410A is classified as a short-duration GRB with extended emission and is currently the farthest SGRB with a redshift determined from an afterglow spectrum and also one of the brightest SGRBs to date. The fast reaction to the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory alert allowed us to obtain a spectrum of the afterglow using the X-shooter spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope (VLT). The spectrum shows several absorption features at a redshift of z = 1.7177, in addition, we detect two intervening systems at z = 1.581 and z = 1.444. The spectrum shows Ly alpha in absorption with a column density of log (N(H i)/cm(2)) = 21.2 +/- 0.2 which, together with Fe ii, C ii, Si ii, Al ii, and O i, allow us to perform the first study of chemical abundances in a SGRB host galaxy. We determine a metallicity of [X/H] = -2.3 +/- 0.2 for Fe ii and -2.5 +/- 0.2 for Si ii and no dust depletion. We also find no evidence for extinction in the afterglow spectral energy distribution modelling. The environment has a low degree of ionization and the C iv and Si iv lines are completely absent. We do not detect an underlying host galaxy down to deep limits. Additionally, we compare GRB 160410A to GRB 201221D, another high-z short GRB that shows absorption lines at z = 1.045 and an underlying massive host galaxy.

KW - gamma-ray burst: individual: GRB 160410A

KW - gamma-ray burst: individual: GRB 201221D

KW - galaxies: ISM

KW - neutron star mergers

KW - GAMMA-RAY BURST

KW - DAMPED LY-ALPHA

KW - COMPACT OBJECT MERGERS

KW - HOST GALAXIES

KW - STAR-FORMATION

KW - X-RAY

KW - GRAVITATIONAL-WAVES

KW - RADIO OBSERVATIONS

KW - TIME DISTRIBUTION

KW - REVERSE SHOCK

U2 - 10.1093/mnras/stad099

DO - 10.1093/mnras/stad099

M3 - Journal article

VL - 520

SP - 613

EP - 636

JO - Royal Astronomical Society. Monthly Notices

JF - Royal Astronomical Society. Monthly Notices

SN - 0035-8711

IS - 1

ER -