open access publication

Article, 2024

Comparing emission- and absorption-based gas-phase metallicities in GRB host galaxies at z =2-4 using JWST

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, ISSN 0035-8711, 0035-8711, Volume 529, 3, Pages 2807-2831, 10.1093/mnras/stae677

Contributors

Schady, P. (Corresponding author) [1] Yates, R. M. [2] Christensen, L. [3] [4] De Cia, A. [5] [6] Rossi, A. [7] D'Elia, V [7] [8] Heintz, K. E. [3] [4] Jakobsson, P. [9] Laskar, T. [10] [11] Levan, A. [12] Salvaterra, R. [7] Starling, R. L. C. [13] Tanvir, N. R. [13] Thoene, C. C. [14] [15] Vergani, S. [16] [17] [18] [19] Wiersema, K. [2] Arabsalmani, M. [18] [20] Chen, H. -W [21] De Pasquale, M. [22] Fruchter, A. [23] Fynbo, J. P. U. [3] [4] Garcia-Benito, R. [24] [25] Gompertz, B. [26] Hartmann, D. [27] Kouveliotou, C. [28] Milvang-Jensen, B. [3] [4] Palazzi, E. [7] Perley, D. A. [29] Piranomonte, S. [7] Pugliese, G. [30] Savaglio, S. [7] [31] [32] Sbarufatti, B. [7] Schulze, S. [33] [34] Tagliaferri, G. [7] Postigo, A. de Ugarte [19] [35] [36] Watson, D. [3] [4] Wiseman, P. [37]

Affiliations

  1. [1] Univ Bath, Dept Phys, Bath BA2 7AY, England
    2. [NORA names: United Kingdom; Europe, Non-EU; OECD];
  2. [2] Univ Hertfordshire, Ctr Astrophys Res, Hatfield AL10 9AB, England
    3. [NORA names: United Kingdom; Europe, Non-EU; OECD];
  3. [3] Univ Copenhagen, Niels Bohr Inst, Jagtvej 128, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
    4. [NORA names: KU University of Copenhagen; University; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
  4. [4] Univ Copenhagen, Cosm Dawn Ctr DAWN, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
    5. [NORA names: KU University of Copenhagen; University; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
  5. [5] European Southern Observ, Karl Schwarzschild Str 2, D-85748 Garching, Germany
    6. [NORA names: Germany; Europe, EU; OECD];

Abstract

Much of what is known of the chemical composition of the universe is based on emission line spectra from star-forming galaxies. Emission-based inferences are, nevertheless, model-dependent and they are dominated by light from luminous star-forming regions. An alternative and sensitive probe of the metallicity of galaxies is through absorption lines imprinted on the luminous afterglow spectra of long gamma ray bursts (GRBs) from neutral material within their host galaxy. We present results from a JWST/NIRSpec programme to investigate for the first time the relation between the metallicity of neutral gas probed in absorption by GRB afterglows and the metallicity of the star-forming regions for the same host galaxy sample. Using an initial sample of eight GRB host galaxies at z = 2.1-4.7, we find a tight relation between absorption and emission line metallicities when using the recently proposed R(over dot) metallicity diagnostic (+/- 0.2 dex). This agreement implies a relatively chemically homogeneous multiphase interstellar medium and indicates that absorption and emission line probes can be directly compared. However, the relation is less clear when using other diagnostics, such as R-23 and R-3. We also find possible evidence of an elevated N/O ratio in the host galaxy of GRB 090323 at z = 4.7, consistent with what has been seen in other z > 4 galaxies. Ultimate confirmation of an enhanced N/O ratio and of the relation between absorption and emission line metallicities will require a more direct determination of the emission line metallicity via the detection of temperature-sensitive auroral lines in our GRB host galaxy sample.

Keywords

ISM: abundances, galaxies: ISM, galaxies: abundances, galaxies: high-redshift, gamma-ray burst: general, quasars: absorption lines

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