GRB 081203A: Swift UVOT captures the earliest ultraviolet spectrum of a gamma-ray burst

N. P.M. Kuin; W. Landsman; M. J. Page; P. Schady; M. Still; A. A. Breeveld; M. De Pasquale; P. W.A. Roming; P. J. Brown; M. Carter; C. James; P. A. Curran; A. Cucchiara; C. Gronwall; S. T. Holland; E. A. Hoversten; S. Hunsberger; T. Kennedy; S. Koch; H. Lamoureux; F. E. Marshall; S. R. Oates; A. Parsons; D. M. Palmer; P. J. Smith

doi:10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00632.x

GRB 081203A: Swift UVOT captures the earliest ultraviolet spectrum of a gamma-ray burst

N. P.M. Kuin, W. Landsman, M. J. Page, P. Schady, M. Still, A. A. Breeveld, M. De Pasquale, P. W.A. Roming, P. J. Brown, M. Carter, C. James, P. A. Curran, A. Cucchiara, C. Gronwall, S. T. Holland, E. A. Hoversten, S. Hunsberger, T. Kennedy, S. Koch, H. LamoureuxF. E. Marshall, S. R. Oates, A. Parsons, D. M. Palmer, P. J. Smith

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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 At to the Lyman absorption implies a gas column density of log N_HI = 22.0 ± 0.1 cm^-2, which is typical of GRB host galaxies with damped Lyα absorbers. This observation of GRB 081203A demonstrates that for brighter GRBs (υ ≈ 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.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L21-L24
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Volume	395
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00632.x
State	Published - May 2009

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00632.x

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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., ... Smith, P. J. (2009). GRB 081203A: Swift UVOT captures the earliest ultraviolet spectrum of a gamma-ray burst. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, 395(1), L21-L24. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00632.x

@article{937dd60fa3f1417aab6c3abfe5d79793,

title = "GRB 081203A: Swift UVOT captures the earliest ultraviolet spectrum of a gamma-ray burst",

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 At to the Lyman absorption implies a gas column density of log NHI = 22.0 ± 0.1 cm-2, which is typical of GRB host galaxies with damped Lyα absorbers. This observation of GRB 081203A demonstrates that for brighter GRBs (υ ≈ 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.",

author = "Kuin, {N. P.M.} and W. Landsman and Page, {M. J.} and P. Schady and M. Still and Breeveld, {A. A.} and {De Pasquale}, M. and Roming, {P. W.A.} and Brown, {P. J.} and M. Carter and C. James and Curran, {P. A.} and A. Cucchiara and C. Gronwall and Holland, {S. T.} and Hoversten, {E. A.} and S. Hunsberger and T. Kennedy and S. Koch and H. Lamoureux and Marshall, {F. E.} and Oates, {S. R.} and A. Parsons and Palmer, {D. M.} and Smith, {P. J.}",

year = "2009",

month = may,

doi = "10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00632.x",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "395",

pages = "L21--L24",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters",

issn = "1745-3933",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "1",

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Kuin, NPM, Landsman, W, Page, MJ, Schady, P, Still, M, Breeveld, AA, De Pasquale, M, Roming, PWA, Brown, PJ, Carter, M, James, C, Curran, PA, Cucchiara, A, Gronwall, C, Holland, ST, Hoversten, EA, Hunsberger, S, Kennedy, T, Koch, S, Lamoureux, H, Marshall, FE, Oates, SR, Parsons, A, Palmer, DM & Smith, PJ 2009, 'GRB 081203A: Swift UVOT captures the earliest ultraviolet spectrum of a gamma-ray burst', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, vol. 395, no. 1, pp. L21-L24. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00632.x

TY - JOUR

T1 - GRB 081203A

T2 - Swift UVOT captures the earliest ultraviolet spectrum of a gamma-ray burst

AU - Kuin, N. P.M.

AU - Landsman, W.

AU - Page, M. J.

AU - Schady, P.

AU - Still, M.

AU - Breeveld, A. A.

AU - De Pasquale, M.

AU - Roming, P. W.A.

AU - Brown, P. J.

AU - Carter, M.

AU - James, C.

AU - Curran, P. A.

AU - Cucchiara, A.

AU - Gronwall, C.

AU - Holland, S. T.

AU - Hoversten, E. A.

AU - Hunsberger, S.

AU - Kennedy, T.

AU - Koch, S.

AU - Lamoureux, H.

AU - Marshall, F. E.

AU - Oates, S. R.

AU - Parsons, A.

AU - Palmer, D. M.

AU - Smith, P. J.

PY - 2009/5

Y1 - 2009/5

N2 - 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 At to the Lyman absorption implies a gas column density of log NHI = 22.0 ± 0.1 cm-2, which is typical of GRB host galaxies with damped Lyα absorbers. This observation of GRB 081203A demonstrates that for brighter GRBs (υ ≈ 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.

AB - 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 At to the Lyman absorption implies a gas column density of log NHI = 22.0 ± 0.1 cm-2, which is typical of GRB host galaxies with damped Lyα absorbers. This observation of GRB 081203A demonstrates that for brighter GRBs (υ ≈ 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.

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U2 - 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00632.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00632.x

M3 - Letter

AN - SCOPUS:77950244663

SN - 1745-3933

VL - 395

SP - L21-L24

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

IS - 1

ER -

GRB 081203A: Swift UVOT captures the earliest ultraviolet spectrum of a gamma-ray burst

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