[vsnet-grb-info 13156] GRB 130427B: Tentative VLT/X-shooter redshift

[GCN Circulars]

TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  14493
SUBJECT: GRB 130427B: Tentative VLT/X-shooter redshift
DATE:    13/04/28 18:13:02 GMT
FROM:    Dong Xu at DARK/NBI  <dong.dark at gmail.com>

H. Flores (GEPI/Obs. de Paris),  S. Covino (INAF),  A. de Ugarte
Postigo (IAA-CSIC, DARK/NBI), J. Fynbo, T. Kruehler, D. Xu (DARK/NBI)
and N. Tanvir (U. Leicester)  report on behalf of the X-Shooter GRB
collaboration:

We have observed the afterglow of the GRB 130427B (Maselli et al., GCN
14460) with the ESO VLT equipped with the X-shooter spectrograph. The
observation started on  2013-04-28 at 9:45 UT. A total exposure of
2x600 s was obtained just before morning twilight, covering the
spectral range from 300 to 2500 nm.

In the spectrum we detect a  feature consistent with a damped
Lyman-alpha line in the UVB arm at redshift of z=2.78 +/-  0.02. Given
the low S/N of the spectrum, this redshift measurement should be
considered tentative.

We thank the Paranal staff for enthusiastic support, in particular
Andrea Mehner and Christophe Martayan.