[vsnet-grb-info 15109] GRB 140614A: X-shooter redshift

[GCN Circulars]

TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  16401
SUBJECT: GRB 140614A: X-shooter redshift
DATE:    14/06/14 15:39:49 GMT
FROM:    Paul Vreeswijk at Weizmann Inst of Science  <paul.vreeswijk at weizmann.ac.il>

T. Kruehler (ESO, Santiago), P. M. Vreeswijk (Weizmann),
J. P. U. Fynbo, D. Xu (DARK/NBI) report on behalf of the X-shooter GRB
collaboration:

We observed the optical afterglow (Tanga et al., GCN 16392) of GRB
140614A (Swift trigger 601646; Page et al., GCN 16391; Beardmore et
al., GCN 16393; Melandri et al., GCN 16396) with the VLT/X-shooter
spectrograph, equipped with the UVB/VIS/NIR arms and covering the
wavelength range 3000-25000 AA.

A spectral nodding sequence of 4x600s was started at June 14.20 (3.8
hours after the Swift trigger). A preliminary reduction shows the lack
of any signal in the UVB arm, but a clear trace, albeit with moderate
signal-to-noise ratio, in both the VIS and NIR arms starting at around
6450 AA. Several absorption features can be identified with the
transitions SiII 1526, CII 1334, CII* 1335, AlII 1670, AllIII 1854,
FeII 2344, 2382, 2600, and MgII 2796, 2803 at a common redshift of z=4.233.

We acknowledge excellent support from the observing staff at Paranal,
in particular Zahed Wahhaj, Jonathan Smoker, Yazan Momany and
Stephane Brillant.