First IFU observations of two GRB host galaxies at cosmic noon with JWST /NIRSpec

B Topçu; P Schady; S Wuyts; A Inkenhaag; M Arabsalmani; H -W Chen; L Christensen; V D’Elia; J P U Fynbo; K E Heintz; P Jakobsson; T Laskar; A Levan; G Pugliese; A Rossi; R L C Starling; N R Tanvir; P Wiseman; R M Yates

doi:10.1093/mnras/staf846

First IFU observations of two GRB host galaxies at cosmic noon with JWST /NIRSpec

B Topçu, P Schady, S Wuyts, A Inkenhaag, M Arabsalmani, H -W Chen, L Christensen, V D’Elia, J P U Fynbo, K E Heintz, P Jakobsson, T Laskar, A Levan, G Pugliese, A Rossi, R L C Starling, N R Tanvir, P Wiseman, R M Yates

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Abstract

Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) serve as powerful probes of distant galaxies. Their luminous afterglow pinpoints galaxies independent of luminosity, in contrast to most flux-limited surveys. Nevertheless, GRB-selected galaxy samples are not free from bias, instead tracing the conditions favoured by the progenitor stars. Characterizing the galaxy populations traced by GRBs is therefore important both to effectively use GRBs as probes as well as to place stronger constraints on the progenitor stars capable of forming long GRBs. Spatially resolved spectroscopic observations with integral field units (IFUs) provide valuable insights into the interstellar medium and stellar populations of GRB host galaxies. In this paper, we present results of the first two GRB host galaxies observed with the JWST/Near-Infrared Spectrograph IFU with a spatial resolution of kpc; the hosts of GRB 150403A and GRB 050820A at redshifts and , respectively. The data reveal two complex galaxy environments made up of two or more star-forming galaxies that are likely interacting given their small spatial separation ( kpc) and line-of-sight velocity offsets ( km s). The measured gas-phase metallicity, star formation rates (SFRs), and key diagnostic line ratios for each of the detected galaxies are overall consistent with the properties of other star-forming galaxies and GRB hosts at . However, differences in the SFR and metallicities of the interacting galaxies highlight the importance of spatially resolved observations in order to accurately characterize the galaxy properties traced by GRBs.

Original language	English
Article number	staf846
Pages (from-to)	1844-1859
Number of pages	16
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	540
Issue number	2
Early online date	23 May 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf846
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 23 May 2025

Keywords

gamma-ray-burst: individual: GRB 050820A and GRB 150403A
galaxies: ISM
gamma-ray burst: general
galaxies: abundances
galaxies: kinematics and dynamics
galaxies: high-redshift

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10.1093/mnras/staf846Licence: CC BY

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© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Final published version, 4.84 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Topçu, B., Schady, P., Wuyts, S., Inkenhaag, A., Arabsalmani, M., Chen, H. .-W., Christensen, L., D’Elia, V., Fynbo, J. P. U., Heintz, K. E., Jakobsson, P., Laskar, T., Levan, A., Pugliese, G., Rossi, A., Starling, R. L. C., Tanvir, N. R., Wiseman, P., & Yates, R. M. (2025). First IFU observations of two GRB host galaxies at cosmic noon with JWST /NIRSpec. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 540(2), 1844-1859. Article staf846. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf846

@article{c9c780cf55b44730bcb4188847fdccc4,

title = "First IFU observations of two GRB host galaxies at cosmic noon with JWST /NIRSpec",

abstract = "Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) serve as powerful probes of distant galaxies. Their luminous afterglow pinpoints galaxies independent of luminosity, in contrast to most flux-limited surveys. Nevertheless, GRB-selected galaxy samples are not free from bias, instead tracing the conditions favoured by the progenitor stars. Characterizing the galaxy populations traced by GRBs is therefore important both to effectively use GRBs as probes as well as to place stronger constraints on the progenitor stars capable of forming long GRBs. Spatially resolved spectroscopic observations with integral field units (IFUs) provide valuable insights into the interstellar medium and stellar populations of GRB host galaxies. In this paper, we present results of the first two GRB host galaxies observed with the JWST/Near-Infrared Spectrograph IFU with a spatial resolution of kpc; the hosts of GRB 150403A and GRB 050820A at redshifts and , respectively. The data reveal two complex galaxy environments made up of two or more star-forming galaxies that are likely interacting given their small spatial separation ( kpc) and line-of-sight velocity offsets ( km s). The measured gas-phase metallicity, star formation rates (SFRs), and key diagnostic line ratios for each of the detected galaxies are overall consistent with the properties of other star-forming galaxies and GRB hosts at . However, differences in the SFR and metallicities of the interacting galaxies highlight the importance of spatially resolved observations in order to accurately characterize the galaxy properties traced by GRBs.",

keywords = "gamma-ray-burst: individual: GRB 050820A and GRB 150403A, galaxies: ISM, gamma-ray burst: general, galaxies: abundances, galaxies: kinematics and dynamics, galaxies: high-redshift",

author = "B Top{\c c}u and P Schady and S Wuyts and A Inkenhaag and M Arabsalmani and Chen, {H -W} and L Christensen and V D{\textquoteright}Elia and Fynbo, {J P U} and Heintz, {K E} and P Jakobsson and T Laskar and A Levan and G Pugliese and A Rossi and Starling, {R L C} and Tanvir, {N R} and P Wiseman and Yates, {R M}",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2025 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",

year = "2025",

month = may,

day = "23",

doi = "10.1093/mnras/staf846",

language = "English",

volume = "540",

pages = "1844--1859",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

publisher = "Oxford University Press (OUP)",

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}

Topçu, B, Schady, P, Wuyts, S, Inkenhaag, A, Arabsalmani, M, Chen, H-W, Christensen, L, D’Elia, V, Fynbo, JPU, Heintz, KE, Jakobsson, P, Laskar, T, Levan, A, Pugliese, G, Rossi, A, Starling, RLC, Tanvir, NR, Wiseman, P & Yates, RM 2025, 'First IFU observations of two GRB host galaxies at cosmic noon with JWST /NIRSpec', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 540, no. 2, staf846, pp. 1844-1859. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf846

TY - JOUR

T1 - First IFU observations of two GRB host galaxies at cosmic noon with JWST /NIRSpec

AU - Topçu, B

AU - Schady, P

AU - Wuyts, S

AU - Inkenhaag, A

AU - Arabsalmani, M

AU - Chen, H -W

AU - Christensen, L

AU - D’Elia, V

AU - Fynbo, J P U

AU - Heintz, K E

AU - Jakobsson, P

AU - Laskar, T

AU - Levan, A

AU - Pugliese, G

AU - Rossi, A

AU - Starling, R L C

AU - Tanvir, N R

AU - Wiseman, P

AU - Yates, R M

N1 - © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

PY - 2025/5/23

Y1 - 2025/5/23

N2 - Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) serve as powerful probes of distant galaxies. Their luminous afterglow pinpoints galaxies independent of luminosity, in contrast to most flux-limited surveys. Nevertheless, GRB-selected galaxy samples are not free from bias, instead tracing the conditions favoured by the progenitor stars. Characterizing the galaxy populations traced by GRBs is therefore important both to effectively use GRBs as probes as well as to place stronger constraints on the progenitor stars capable of forming long GRBs. Spatially resolved spectroscopic observations with integral field units (IFUs) provide valuable insights into the interstellar medium and stellar populations of GRB host galaxies. In this paper, we present results of the first two GRB host galaxies observed with the JWST/Near-Infrared Spectrograph IFU with a spatial resolution of kpc; the hosts of GRB 150403A and GRB 050820A at redshifts and , respectively. The data reveal two complex galaxy environments made up of two or more star-forming galaxies that are likely interacting given their small spatial separation ( kpc) and line-of-sight velocity offsets ( km s). The measured gas-phase metallicity, star formation rates (SFRs), and key diagnostic line ratios for each of the detected galaxies are overall consistent with the properties of other star-forming galaxies and GRB hosts at . However, differences in the SFR and metallicities of the interacting galaxies highlight the importance of spatially resolved observations in order to accurately characterize the galaxy properties traced by GRBs.

AB - Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) serve as powerful probes of distant galaxies. Their luminous afterglow pinpoints galaxies independent of luminosity, in contrast to most flux-limited surveys. Nevertheless, GRB-selected galaxy samples are not free from bias, instead tracing the conditions favoured by the progenitor stars. Characterizing the galaxy populations traced by GRBs is therefore important both to effectively use GRBs as probes as well as to place stronger constraints on the progenitor stars capable of forming long GRBs. Spatially resolved spectroscopic observations with integral field units (IFUs) provide valuable insights into the interstellar medium and stellar populations of GRB host galaxies. In this paper, we present results of the first two GRB host galaxies observed with the JWST/Near-Infrared Spectrograph IFU with a spatial resolution of kpc; the hosts of GRB 150403A and GRB 050820A at redshifts and , respectively. The data reveal two complex galaxy environments made up of two or more star-forming galaxies that are likely interacting given their small spatial separation ( kpc) and line-of-sight velocity offsets ( km s). The measured gas-phase metallicity, star formation rates (SFRs), and key diagnostic line ratios for each of the detected galaxies are overall consistent with the properties of other star-forming galaxies and GRB hosts at . However, differences in the SFR and metallicities of the interacting galaxies highlight the importance of spatially resolved observations in order to accurately characterize the galaxy properties traced by GRBs.

KW - gamma-ray-burst: individual: GRB 050820A and GRB 150403A

KW - galaxies: ISM

KW - gamma-ray burst: general

KW - galaxies: abundances

KW - galaxies: kinematics and dynamics

KW - galaxies: high-redshift

U2 - 10.1093/mnras/staf846

DO - 10.1093/mnras/staf846

M3 - Article

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 540

SP - 1844

EP - 1859

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 2

M1 - staf846

ER -

First IFU observations of two GRB host galaxies at cosmic noon with JWST /NIRSpec

Abstract

Keywords

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