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. Lamoureux

F. E. Marshall, S. R. Oates, A. Parsons, D. M. Palmer, P. J. Smith

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

40 Scopus citations

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",

}

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.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/77950244663

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/77950244663#tab=citedBy

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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