OKC colloquia

Gamma-ray bursts: a sample approach

by Daniele Malesani (DARK)

Europe/Stockholm
FA32

FA32

Description
amma-ray bursts (GRBs) are bright explosions visible from all over the Universe. Being produced in core-collapse supernovae, they pinpoint environments where active star formation is ongoing. Spectroscopy of their optical counterparts (afterglows) allows to probe the medium of high-redshift galaxies, its gas content, metallicity, and dust extinction. GRBs also offer an effective way to locate high-redshift star-forming galaxies, selected in a way complementary to all other galaxy surveys. I will present an ongoing project to derive properties of GRB environments and host galaxies focussing on the need to collect a complete, well defined sample. The approach is twofold, starting from the immediate follow-up of GRB afterglows and continuing with late-time studies of GRB hosts. A special mention goes to the role of the now operational X-shooter instrument at the VLT, which will allow more detailed and effective GRB studies.