[vsnet-grb-info 2384] GRB 051109: HET Optical Spectrum and Absorption Redshift

[GCN Circulars]

TITLE:   GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT
NUMBER:  4221
SUBJECT: GRB 051109: HET Optical Spectrum and Absorption Redshift
DATE:    05/11/09 08:06:51 GMT
FROM:    Robert Quimby at U of Texas/ROTSE  <quimby at astro.as.utexas.edu>

R. Quimby (U. Texas), D. Fox (PSU), P. Hoeflich (U. Texas), B. Roman,
and J. C. Wheeler (U. Texas) report:

We observed the optical afterglow (Rykoff et al. GCN 4211) of GRB
051109 (Tagliaferri et al. GCN 4213) with the 9.2m Hobby-Eberly
Telescope (+ Marcario Low-Resolution Spectrograph) beginning November
9, 03:55:40 UT (~2.5 hrs after the burst trigger). Several absorption
lines are present in the spectrum corresponding to Si II (1526.7), C
IV, Cr II (2056.3, 2066.2), and Fe II (2344.2, 2382.8) among others
at a redshift of z=2.346.