Host Galaxies of Gamma-Ray Bursts

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent research on the properties of host galaxies of gamma-ray bursts, highlighting their significance in understanding GRB progenitors, environments, and their use as cosmological tools.

Contribution

It synthesizes recent findings on both short and long GRB host galaxies, emphasizing their implications for progenitor models and cosmic star formation tracing.

Findings

LGRB hosts are typically star-forming, low-metallicity galaxies.

Short GRB hosts suggest older stellar populations.

Host studies inform GRB progenitor theories and cosmological applications.

Abstract

Host galaxies are an excellent means of probing the natal environments that generate gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Recent work on the host galaxies of short-duration GRBs has offered new insights into the parent stellar populations and ages of their enigmatic progenitors. Similarly, surveys of long-duration GRB (LGRB) host environments and their ISM properties have produced intriguing new results with important implications for long GRB progenitor models. These host studies are also critical in evaluating the utility of LGRBs as potential tracers of star formation and metallicity at high redshifts. I will summarize the latest research on LGRB host galaxies, and discuss the resulting impact on our understanding of these events' progenitors, energetics, and cosmological applications.