Molecular hydrogen in the damped Lyman α system towards GRB 120815A at <i>z</i>=2.36

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dc.contributor.authorKruhler, T.
dc.contributor.authorLedoux, C.
dc.contributor.authorFynbo, J. P. U.
dc.contributor.authorVreeswijk, P. M.
dc.contributor.authorSchmidl, S.
dc.contributor.authorMalesani, D.
dc.contributor.authorChristensen, L.
dc.contributor.authorDe Cia, A.
dc.contributor.authorHjorth, J.
dc.contributor.authorJakobsson, P.
dc.contributor.authorKann, D. A.
dc.contributor.authorKaper, L.
dc.contributor.authorVergani, S. D.
dc.contributor.authorAfonso, P. M. J.
dc.contributor.authorCovino, S.
dc.contributor.authorde Ugarte Postigo, A.
dc.contributor.authorD'Elia, V.
dc.contributor.authorFilgas, R.
dc.contributor.authorGoldoni, P.
dc.contributor.authorGreiner, J.
dc.contributor.authorHartoog, O. E.
dc.contributor.authorMilvang-Jensen, B.
dc.contributor.authorNardini, M.
dc.contributor.authorPiranomonte, S.
dc.contributor.authorRossi, A.
dc.contributor.authorSanchez-Ramirez, R.
dc.contributor.authorSchady, P.
dc.contributor.authorSchulze, S.
dc.contributor.authorSudilovsky, V.
dc.contributor.authorTanvir, N. R.
dc.contributor.authorTagliaferri, G.
dc.contributor.authorWatson, D. J.
dc.contributor.authorWiersema, K.
dc.contributor.authorWijers, R. A. M. J.
dc.contributor.authorXu, D.
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-24T00:08:53Z
dc.date.available2025-01-24T00:08:53Z
dc.date.issued2013
dc.description.abstractWe present the discovery of molecular hydrogen (H-2), including the presence of vibrationally-excited H-2* in the optical spectrum of the of GRB 120815A at z = 2.36 obtained with X-shooter at the VLT. Simultaneous photometric broad-band data from GROND X-ray observations by SwiftXRT place further constraints on the amount and nature of dust along the sightline. The galactic of GRB 120815A is characterized by a strong DLA with log(N(H I) = cm(-2)) = 21.95 +/- 0.10, prominent H-2 absorption the Lyman-Werner bands (log(N(H-2) = cm(-2)) = 20.54 +/- 0.13) and thus a molecular gas fraction log f(H-2) = 1.14 +/- 0.15. The d between the absorbing neutral gas and GRB 120815A is constrained via photo-excitation modeling of fine-structure and stable transitions of Fe II and Ni II to d = 0.5 +/- 0.1 kpc. The DLA metallicity ([Zn = H] = 1.15 +/- 0.12), visual extinction AV less than or similar to 0.15 mag) and dust depletion ([Zn = Fe] = 1.01 +/- 0.10) are intermediate between the values of well-studied, H-2-deficient DLAs observed at high spectral resolution, and the approximately solar metallicity, highly-obscured and H-2-rich GRB 080607 With respect to N(H I), metallicity, as well as dust-extinction and depletion, GRB 120815A is fairly representative of the properties of GRB-DLAs. This demonstrates that molecular hydrogen is present in at least a fraction of the more typical GRB- and H-2 and H-2* are probably more wide-spread among GRB-selected systems than the few examples of previous detections suggest. Because H-2* transitions are located redwards of the Lyman alpha absorption, H-2* opens a second route for positive searches molecular absorption also in GRB afterglows at lower redshifts and observed at lower spectral resolution. Further detections of gas in GRB-DLAs would allow statistical studies, and, coupled with host follow-up and sub-mm spectroscopy, provide insights into the process and conditions of star-formation at high redshift.
dc.fuente.origenWOS
dc.identifier.doi10.1051/0004-6361/201321772
dc.identifier.eissn1432-0746
dc.identifier.issn0004-6361
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201321772
dc.identifier.urihttps://repositorio.uc.cl/handle/11534/101971
dc.identifier.wosidWOS:000325211900106
dc.language.isoen
dc.revistaAstronomy & astrophysics
dc.rightsacceso restringido
dc.subjectgalaxies: ISM
dc.subjectgamma-ray burst: individual: GRB 120815A
dc.subjectgalaxies: high-redshift
dc.subjectISM: molecules
dc.subjectdust, extinction
dc.titleMolecular hydrogen in the damped Lyman α system towards GRB 120815A at <i>z</i>=2.36
dc.typeartículo
dc.volumen557
sipa.indexWOS
sipa.trazabilidadWOS;2025-01-12
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