Cold gas in the early Universe: Survey for neutral atomic-carbon in GRB host galaxies at 1 < z < 6 from optical afterglow spectroscopy

K. E. Heintz; C. Ledoux; J. P. U. Fynbo; P. Jakobsson; P. Noterdaeme; J.-K. Krogager; J. Bolmer; P. Møller; S. D. Vergani; D. Watson; T. Zafar; A. De Cia; N. R. Tanvir; D. B. Malesani; J. Japelj; S. Covino; L. Kaper

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201834246

Cold gas in the early Universe: Survey for neutral atomic-carbon in GRB host galaxies at 1 < z < 6 from optical afterglow spectroscopy

K. E. Heintz, C. Ledoux, J. P. U. Fynbo, P. Jakobsson, P. Noterdaeme, J.-K. Krogager, J. Bolmer, P. Møller, S. D. Vergani, D. Watson, T. Zafar, A. De Cia, N. R. Tanvir, D. B. Malesani, J. Japelj, S. Covino, L. Kaper

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Abstract

We present a survey for neutral atomic-carbon (Câ€» I) along gamma-ray burst (GRB) sightlines, which probes the shielded neutral gas-phase in the interstellar medium (ISM) of GRB host galaxies at high redshift. We compile a sample of 29 medium-to high-resolution GRB optical afterglow spectra spanning a redshift range through most of cosmic time from 1 < z < 6. We find that seven (25%) of the GRBs entering our statistical sample have C » I detected in absorption. It is evident that there is a strong excess of cold gas in GRB hosts compared to absorbers in quasar sightlines. We investigate the dust properties of the GRB C » I absorbers and find that the amount of neutral carbon is positively correlated with the visual extinction, A _V , and the strength of the 2175 Å dust extinction feature, A _bump . GRBs with C » I detected in absorption are all observed above a certain threshold of logN(H » I)/cm ^-2 + [X/H] > 20.7 and a dust-phase iron column density of logN(Fe) _dust /cm ^-2 > 16.2. In contrast to the SED-derived dust properties, the strength of the C » I absorption does not correlate with the depletion-derived dust properties. This indicates that the GRB C » I absorbers trace dusty systems where the dust composition is dominated by carbon-rich dust grains. The observed higher metal and dust column densities of the GRB C » I absorbers compared to H₂ -and C » I-bearing quasar absorbers is mainly a consequence of how the two absorber populations are selected, but is also required in the presence of intense UV radiation fields in actively star-forming galaxies.

Original language	English
Article number	A20
Number of pages	13
Journal	Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume	621
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201834246
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2019
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Reproduced with permission from Astronomy & Astrophysics, Copyright 2018 ESO. First published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 621, A20, 2019, published by EDP Sciences. The original publication is available at https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201834246. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

Dust, extinction
Galaxies: high-redshift
Galaxies: ISM
Gamma-ray burst: general

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10.1051/0004-6361/201834246

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Heintz, K. E., Ledoux, C., Fynbo, J. P. U., Jakobsson, P., Noterdaeme, P., Krogager, J.-K., Bolmer, J., Møller, P., Vergani, S. D., Watson, D., Zafar, T., De Cia, A., Tanvir, N. R., Malesani, D. B., Japelj, J., Covino, S., & Kaper, L. (2019). Cold gas in the early Universe: Survey for neutral atomic-carbon in GRB host galaxies at 1 < z < 6 from optical afterglow spectroscopy. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 621, Article A20. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201834246

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title = "Cold gas in the early Universe: Survey for neutral atomic-carbon in GRB host galaxies at 1 < z < 6 from optical afterglow spectroscopy",

abstract = " We present a survey for neutral atomic-carbon (C{\^a}€» I) along gamma-ray burst (GRB) sightlines, which probes the shielded neutral gas-phase in the interstellar medium (ISM) of GRB host galaxies at high redshift. We compile a sample of 29 medium-to high-resolution GRB optical afterglow spectra spanning a redshift range through most of cosmic time from 1 < z < 6. We find that seven (25%) of the GRBs entering our statistical sample have C » I detected in absorption. It is evident that there is a strong excess of cold gas in GRB hosts compared to absorbers in quasar sightlines. We investigate the dust properties of the GRB C » I absorbers and find that the amount of neutral carbon is positively correlated with the visual extinction, A V , and the strength of the 2175 {\AA} dust extinction feature, A bump . GRBs with C » I detected in absorption are all observed above a certain threshold of logN(H » I)/cm -2 + [X/H] > 20.7 and a dust-phase iron column density of logN(Fe) dust /cm -2 > 16.2. In contrast to the SED-derived dust properties, the strength of the C » I absorption does not correlate with the depletion-derived dust properties. This indicates that the GRB C » I absorbers trace dusty systems where the dust composition is dominated by carbon-rich dust grains. The observed higher metal and dust column densities of the GRB C » I absorbers compared to H2 -and C » I-bearing quasar absorbers is mainly a consequence of how the two absorber populations are selected, but is also required in the presence of intense UV radiation fields in actively star-forming galaxies. ",

keywords = "Dust, extinction, Galaxies: high-redshift, Galaxies: ISM, Gamma-ray burst: general",

author = "Heintz, {K. E.} and C. Ledoux and Fynbo, {J. P. U.} and P. Jakobsson and P. Noterdaeme and J.-K. Krogager and J. Bolmer and P. M{\o}ller and Vergani, {S. D.} and D. Watson and T. Zafar and {De Cia}, A. and Tanvir, {N. R.} and Malesani, {D. B.} and J. Japelj and S. Covino and L. Kaper",

note = "Reproduced with permission from Astronomy & Astrophysics, Copyright 2018 ESO. First published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 621, A20, 2019, published by EDP Sciences. The original publication is available at https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201834246. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.",

year = "2019",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1051/0004-6361/201834246",

language = "English",

volume = "621",

journal = "Astronomy and Astrophysics",

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Heintz, KE, Ledoux, C, Fynbo, JPU, Jakobsson, P, Noterdaeme, P, Krogager, J-K, Bolmer, J, Møller, P, Vergani, SD, Watson, D, Zafar, T, De Cia, A, Tanvir, NR, Malesani, DB, Japelj, J, Covino, S & Kaper, L 2019, 'Cold gas in the early Universe: Survey for neutral atomic-carbon in GRB host galaxies at 1 < z < 6 from optical afterglow spectroscopy', Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 621, A20. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201834246

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cold gas in the early Universe

T2 - Survey for neutral atomic-carbon in GRB host galaxies at 1 < z < 6 from optical afterglow spectroscopy

AU - Heintz, K. E.

AU - Ledoux, C.

AU - Fynbo, J. P. U.

AU - Jakobsson, P.

AU - Noterdaeme, P.

AU - Krogager, J.-K.

AU - Bolmer, J.

AU - Møller, P.

AU - Vergani, S. D.

AU - Watson, D.

AU - Zafar, T.

AU - De Cia, A.

AU - Tanvir, N. R.

AU - Malesani, D. B.

AU - Japelj, J.

AU - Covino, S.

AU - Kaper, L.

N1 - Reproduced with permission from Astronomy & Astrophysics, Copyright 2018 ESO. First published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 621, A20, 2019, published by EDP Sciences. The original publication is available at https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201834246. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2019/1/1

Y1 - 2019/1/1

N2 - We present a survey for neutral atomic-carbon (Câ€» I) along gamma-ray burst (GRB) sightlines, which probes the shielded neutral gas-phase in the interstellar medium (ISM) of GRB host galaxies at high redshift. We compile a sample of 29 medium-to high-resolution GRB optical afterglow spectra spanning a redshift range through most of cosmic time from 1 < z < 6. We find that seven (25%) of the GRBs entering our statistical sample have C » I detected in absorption. It is evident that there is a strong excess of cold gas in GRB hosts compared to absorbers in quasar sightlines. We investigate the dust properties of the GRB C » I absorbers and find that the amount of neutral carbon is positively correlated with the visual extinction, A V , and the strength of the 2175 Å dust extinction feature, A bump . GRBs with C » I detected in absorption are all observed above a certain threshold of logN(H » I)/cm -2 + [X/H] > 20.7 and a dust-phase iron column density of logN(Fe) dust /cm -2 > 16.2. In contrast to the SED-derived dust properties, the strength of the C » I absorption does not correlate with the depletion-derived dust properties. This indicates that the GRB C » I absorbers trace dusty systems where the dust composition is dominated by carbon-rich dust grains. The observed higher metal and dust column densities of the GRB C » I absorbers compared to H2 -and C » I-bearing quasar absorbers is mainly a consequence of how the two absorber populations are selected, but is also required in the presence of intense UV radiation fields in actively star-forming galaxies.

AB - We present a survey for neutral atomic-carbon (Câ€» I) along gamma-ray burst (GRB) sightlines, which probes the shielded neutral gas-phase in the interstellar medium (ISM) of GRB host galaxies at high redshift. We compile a sample of 29 medium-to high-resolution GRB optical afterglow spectra spanning a redshift range through most of cosmic time from 1 < z < 6. We find that seven (25%) of the GRBs entering our statistical sample have C » I detected in absorption. It is evident that there is a strong excess of cold gas in GRB hosts compared to absorbers in quasar sightlines. We investigate the dust properties of the GRB C » I absorbers and find that the amount of neutral carbon is positively correlated with the visual extinction, A V , and the strength of the 2175 Å dust extinction feature, A bump . GRBs with C » I detected in absorption are all observed above a certain threshold of logN(H » I)/cm -2 + [X/H] > 20.7 and a dust-phase iron column density of logN(Fe) dust /cm -2 > 16.2. In contrast to the SED-derived dust properties, the strength of the C » I absorption does not correlate with the depletion-derived dust properties. This indicates that the GRB C » I absorbers trace dusty systems where the dust composition is dominated by carbon-rich dust grains. The observed higher metal and dust column densities of the GRB C » I absorbers compared to H2 -and C » I-bearing quasar absorbers is mainly a consequence of how the two absorber populations are selected, but is also required in the presence of intense UV radiation fields in actively star-forming galaxies.

KW - Dust, extinction

KW - Galaxies: high-redshift

KW - Galaxies: ISM

KW - Gamma-ray burst: general

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U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/201834246

DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/201834246

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85059480891

SN - 0004-6361

VL - 621

JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics

M1 - A20

ER -

Cold gas in the early Universe: Survey for neutral atomic-carbon in GRB host galaxies at 1 < z < 6 from optical afterglow spectroscopy

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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