Gamma-Ray Bursts as Cosmological Probes: from Concept to Reality

Authors
  • C. Ledoux
  • D. Malesani
  • C. Thöne
  • S.L. Ellison
  • J. Gorosabel
  • J. Hjorth
  • B. Jensen
  • C. Kouveliotou
  • A. Levan
  • C. Stelling
  • P. Møller
  • E. Rol
  • A. Smette
  • J. Sollerman
  • R. Starling
  • N. Tanvir
  • D. Watson
  • K. Wiersema
  • R. Wijers
  • D. Xu
Publication date 2007
Journal The Messenger
Volume | Issue number 130
Pages (from-to) 43
Organisations
  • Faculty of Science (FNWI) - Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy (API)
Abstract
We describe the current status and recent results from our ongoing programme at the VLT aimed at performing target-of-opportunity follow-up spectroscopy of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows. Our primary goal is to secure redshifts for a complete sample of GRBs, thereby allowing the use of GRBs as probes of the cosmic star-formation history, chemical evolution and the luminosity functions of the GRBs themselves as well as their host galaxies. Contrary to earlier expectations, most optical afterglows are already faint a few hours after the bursts and 8-10-m telescopes are therefore crucial to determine redshifts for most GRBs.
Document type Article
Language English
Published at http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2007Msngr.130...43F
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