Probing High Redshifts with GRBs

Amit will discuss "Two High-z DLAs towards a z~5 gamma-ray burst" (Sparre et al. 2013) http://arxiv.org/abs/1309.2940

Paper abstract: Observations of the afterglows of long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) allow the study of star-forming galaxies across most of cosmic history. Here we present observations of GRB 111008A from which we can measure abundance patterns, metallicity, dust content and extinction of the GRB host galaxy (z=5.0) as well as a Damped Lyman-alpha Absorber (DLA) galaxy along the line of sight (z=4.6). These systems have column densities of log N =22.30 +/- 0.06 and 21.34 +/- 0.10, respectively. The GRB host galaxy has a metallicity of 2% solar (based on sulfur), and a lower limit of the metallicity for the intervening DLA is 3% (based on silicon). For the intervening absorber we also measure -1.73<[Fe/H]<-1.09, but the true metallicity can be higher, because it is unclear how much the abundances are affected by dust depletion. The presence and variability of fine-structure lines confirms the z=5.0 system as the GRB host. This is the highest redshift where Fe II fine-structure lines have been detected. The afterglow is only mildly reddened with A_V = 0.11 +/- 0.04 mag, and the host galaxy has a dust-to-metals ratio which is consistent with being equal to or lower than typical values in the Local Group.