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

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

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 R̂ 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.

astro-ph.GA, gamma-ray burst: general, quasars: absorption lines, galaxies: ISM, ISM: abundances, galaxies: abundances, galaxies: high-redshift
1365-2966
2807-2831
Schady, P.
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Yates, R.M.
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Christensen, L.
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Cia, A. De
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Rossi, A.
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D'Elia, V.
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Heintz, K.E.
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Jakobsson, P.
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Laskar, T.
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Levan, A.
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Salvaterra, R.
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Starling, R.L.C.
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Tanvir, N.R
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Thöne, C.C.
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Vergani, S.
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Wiersema, K.
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Arabsalmani, M .
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Chen, H.-W.
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Pasquale, M. De
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Fruchter, A.
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Fynbo, J.P.U.
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García-Benito, R.
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Gompertz, B.
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Hartmann, D.
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Kouveliotou, C.
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Milvang-Jensen, B.
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Palazzi, E.
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Perley, D.
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Piranomonte, S.
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Pugliese, G.
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Savaglio, S.
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Sbarufatti, B.
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Schulze, S.
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Tagliaferri, G.
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Postigo, A. de Ugarte
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Watson, D.
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Wiseman, P.
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Schady, P.
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Yates, R.M.
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Christensen, L.
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Cia, A. De
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Rossi, A.
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D'Elia, V.
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Heintz, K.E.
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Jakobsson, P.
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Laskar, T.
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Levan, A.
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Salvaterra, R.
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Starling, R.L.C.
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Tanvir, N.R
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Thöne, C.C.
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Vergani, S.
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Wiersema, K.
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Arabsalmani, M .
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Chen, H.-W.
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Pasquale, M. De
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Fruchter, A.
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Fynbo, J.P.U.
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García-Benito, R.
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Gompertz, B.
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Hartmann, D.
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Kouveliotou, C.
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Milvang-Jensen, B.
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Palazzi, E.
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Perley, D.
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Piranomonte, S.
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Pugliese, G.
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Savaglio, S.
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Sbarufatti, B.
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Schulze, S.
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Tagliaferri, G.
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Postigo, A. de Ugarte
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Watson, D.
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Wiseman, P.
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Schady, P., Yates, R.M., Christensen, L., Cia, A. De, Rossi, A., D'Elia, V., Heintz, K.E., Jakobsson, P., Laskar, T., Levan, A., Salvaterra, R., Starling, R.L.C., Tanvir, N.R, Thöne, C.C., Vergani, S., Wiersema, K., Arabsalmani, M ., Chen, H.-W., Pasquale, M. De, Fruchter, A., Fynbo, J.P.U., García-Benito, R., Gompertz, B., Hartmann, D., Kouveliotou, C., Milvang-Jensen, B., Palazzi, E., Perley, D., Piranomonte, S., Pugliese, G., Savaglio, S., Sbarufatti, B., Schulze, S., Tagliaferri, G., Postigo, A. de Ugarte, Watson, D. and Wiseman, P. (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, 529 (3), 2807-2831. (doi:10.1093/mnras/stae677).

Record type: Article

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 R̂ 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.

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Accepted/In Press date: 26 February 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 5 March 2024
Published date: 1 April 2024
Additional Information: Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s).
Keywords: astro-ph.GA, gamma-ray burst: general, quasars: absorption lines, galaxies: ISM, ISM: abundances, galaxies: abundances, galaxies: high-redshift

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 488865
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/488865
DOI: doi:10.1093/mnras/stae677
ISSN: 1365-2966
PURE UUID: 8045c4c7-ffc1-45fd-a10b-8d09667b8b43
ORCID for P. Wiseman: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3073-1512

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Date deposited: 09 Apr 2024 09:46
Last modified: 03 May 2024 16:39

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Contributors

Author: P. Schady
Author: R.M. Yates
Author: L. Christensen
Author: A. De Cia
Author: A. Rossi
Author: V. D'Elia
Author: K.E. Heintz
Author: P. Jakobsson
Author: T. Laskar
Author: A. Levan
Author: R. Salvaterra
Author: R.L.C. Starling
Author: N.R Tanvir
Author: C.C. Thöne
Author: S. Vergani
Author: K. Wiersema
Author: M . Arabsalmani
Author: H.-W. Chen
Author: M. De Pasquale
Author: A. Fruchter
Author: J.P.U. Fynbo
Author: R. García-Benito
Author: B. Gompertz
Author: D. Hartmann
Author: C. Kouveliotou
Author: B. Milvang-Jensen
Author: E. Palazzi
Author: D. Perley
Author: S. Piranomonte
Author: G. Pugliese
Author: S. Savaglio
Author: B. Sbarufatti
Author: S. Schulze
Author: G. Tagliaferri
Author: A. de Ugarte Postigo
Author: D. Watson
Author: P. Wiseman ORCID iD

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