Modeling the host galaxies of long-duration gamma-ray bursts

TL;DR

This study investigates the interstellar medium environments of long-duration gamma-ray burst host galaxies using new models and observations, revealing they typically have low-metallicity ISM environments distinct from other galaxy types.

Contribution

Introduces a new suite of stellar population synthesis and photoionization models applied to LGRB host galaxies, highlighting their unique low-metallicity ISM environments.

Findings

LGRB hosts generally have low-metallicity ISM environments.

LGRB hosts differ from typical galaxy populations and supernova hosts.

LGRB hosts may serve as tracers of star formation in distant galaxies.

Abstract

We present the first results of our investigation into the ISM environments of long-duration GRB (LGRB) host galaxies. We apply a new suite of stellar population synthesis and photoionization models to new, uniform, rest-frame optical observations of eight LGRB host galaxies ranging from z = 0.01 to z = 0.81. We also compare these hosts to a variety of local and intermediate-redshift galaxy populations. We find that LGRB host galaxies generally have low-metallicity ISM environments. As a whole, the ISM properties of our LGRB hosts set them apart from the general galaxy population, host galaxies of nearby Type Ic supernovae, and nearby metal-poor galaxies. With these comparisons we investigate whether LGRB host galaxies may be used as accurate tracers of star formation in distant galaxies.