The Host Galaxy and Optical Light Curve of the Gamma-Ray Burst GRB 980703

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dc.creatorHolland, S.
dc.creatorFynbo, J. P. U.
dc.creatorHjorth, J.
dc.creatorGorosabel, J.
dc.creatorPedersen, H.
dc.creatorAndersen, M. I.
dc.creatorDar, A.
dc.creatorThomsen, B.
dc.creatorMoller, P.
dc.creatorBjornsson, G.
dc.creatorJaunsen, A. O.
dc.creatorNatarajan, P.
dc.creatorTanvir, N.
dc.date2001-03-03
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T06:26:09Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T06:26:09Z
dc.descriptionWe present deep HST/STIS and ground-based photometry of the host galaxy of the gamma-ray burst GRB 980703 taken 17, 551, 710, and 716 days after the burst. We find that the host is a blue, slightly over-luminous galaxy with V_gal = 23.00 +/- 0.10, (V-R)_gal = 0.43 +/- 0.13, and a centre that is approximately 0.2 mag bluer than the outer regions of the galaxy. The galaxy has a star-formation rate of 8-13 M_sun/yr, assuming no extinction in the host. We find that the galaxy is best fit by a Sersic R^(1/n) profile with n ~= 1.0 and a half-light radius of 0.13 arcsec (= 0.72/h_100 proper kpc). This corresponds to an exponential disk with a scale radius of 0.22 arcsec (= 1.21/h_100 proper kpc). Subtracting a fit with elliptical isophotes leaves large residuals, which suggests that the host galaxy has a somewhat irregular morphology, but we are unable to connect the location of GRB 980703 with any special features in the host. The host galaxy appears to be a typical example of a compact star forming galaxy similar to those found in the Hubble Deep Field North. The R-band light curve of the optical afterglow associated with this gamma-ray burst is consistent with a single power-law decay having a slope of alpha = -1.37 +/- 0.14. Due to the bright underlying host galaxy the late time properties of the light-curve are very poorly constrained. The decay of the optical light curve is consistent with a contribution from an underlying Type Ic supernova like SN1998bw, or a dust echo, but such contributions cannot be securely established.
dc.description9 pages, 5 figures, LaTeX using A&A Document Class v4.05, to appear in A&A
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0103058
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0103058
dc.identifierAstron.Astrophys. 371 (2001) 52
dc.identifierdoi:10.1051/0004-6361:20010311
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/97026
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleThe Host Galaxy and Optical Light Curve of the Gamma-Ray Burst GRB 980703
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