Sign on

SAO/NASA ADS Astronomy Abstract Service


· Find Similar Abstracts (with default settings below)
· Electronic Refereed Journal Article (HTML)
· Full Refereed Journal Article (PDF/Postscript)
· arXiv e-print (arXiv:0812.2943)
· References in the article
· Citations to the Article (4) (Citation History)
· Refereed Citations to the Article
· SIMBAD Objects (7)
· Also-Read Articles (Reads History)
·
· Translate This Page
Title:
GRB 081203A: Swift UVOT captures the earliest ultraviolet spectrum of a gamma-ray burst
Authors:
Kuin, N. P. M.; Landsman, W.; Page, M. J.; Schady, P.; Still, M.; Breeveld, A. A.; de Pasquale, M.; Roming, P. W. A.; Brown, P. J.; Carter, M.; James, C.; Curran, P. A.; Cucchiara, A.; Gronwall, C.; Holland, S. T.; Hoversten, E. A.; Hunsberger, S.; Kennedy, T.; Koch, S.; Lamoureux, H.; Marshall, F. E.; Oates, S. R.; Parsons, A.; Palmer, D. M.; Smith, P. J.
Affiliation:
AA(Mullard Space Science Laboratory/UCL, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT), AB(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA), AC(Mullard Space Science Laboratory/UCL, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT), AD(Mullard Space Science Laboratory/UCL, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT), AE(Mullard Space Science Laboratory/UCL, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT), AF(Mullard Space Science Laboratory/UCL, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT), AG(Mullard Space Science Laboratory/UCL, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT), AH(Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Penn State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA), AI(Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Penn State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA), AJ(Mullard Space Science Laboratory/UCL, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT), AK(Mullard Space Science Laboratory/UCL, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT), AL(Mullard Space Science Laboratory/UCL, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT), AM(Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Penn State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA), AN(Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Penn State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA), AO(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA), AP(Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Penn State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA), AQ(Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Penn State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA), AR(Mullard Space Science Laboratory/UCL, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT), AS(Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Penn State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA), AT(Mullard Space Science Laboratory/UCL, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT), AU(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA), AV(Mullard Space Science Laboratory/UCL, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT), AW(NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA), AX(Los Alamos National Laboratory, PO Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA), AY(Mullard Space Science Laboratory/UCL, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT)
Publication:
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, Volume 395, Issue 1, pp. L21-L24. (MNRAS Homepage)
Publication Date:
05/2009
Origin:
MNRAS
MNRAS Keywords:
instrumentation: spectrographs, gamma-rays: bursts
DOI:
10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00632.x
Bibliographic Code:
2009MNRAS.395L..21K

Abstract

We present the earliest ultraviolet (UV) spectrum of a gamma-ray burst (GRB) as observed with the Swift Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope (UVOT). The GRB 081203A spectrum was observed for 50 s with the UV-grism starting 251 s after the Swift-Burst-Alert-Telescope (BAT) trigger. During this time, the GRB was ~13.4 mag (u filter) and was still rising to its peak optical brightness. In the UV-grism spectrum, we find a damped Lyα line, Lyβ and the Lyman continuum break at a redshift z = 2.05 +/- 0.01. A model fit to the Lyman absorption implies a gas column density of log NHI = 22.0 +/- 0.1cm-2, which is typical of GRB host galaxies with damped Lyα absorbers. This observation of GRB 081203A demonstrates that for brighter GRBs (v ~ 14 mag) with moderate redshift (0.5 < z < 3.5) the UVOT is able to provide redshifts, and probe for damped Lyα absorbers within 4-6 min from the time of the Swift-BAT trigger.
Bibtex entry for this abstract   Preferred format for this abstract (see Preferences)

   

Find Similar Abstracts:

Use: Authors
Title
Keywords (in text query field)
Abstract Text
Return: Query Results Return    items starting with number
Query Form
Database: Astronomy
Physics
arXiv e-prints