[vsnet-grb-info 3885] GRB 061007: OA fading and VLT redshift

[GCN Circulars]

TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  5716
SUBJECT: GRB 061007: OA fading and VLT redshift
DATE:    06/10/08 09:41:49 GMT
FROM:    Pall Jakobsson at U Hertfordshire  <palli at star.herts.ac.uk>

Pall Jakobsson (U. Hertfordshire), Johan P. U. Fynbo (DARK, NBI),
Nial Tanvir and Evert Rol (U. Leicester) report on behalf of a
larger collaboration:

Using FORS1 on the Very Large Telescope, we have obtained 3*30 min
spectra (300V grating) of the GRB 061007 field (Schady et al., GCN 5707).
The acquisition image shows that the optical afterglow (Rykoff &  
Rujopakarn,
GCN 5706) has R ~ 21.5 on Oct 8.150 (0.727 days post-burst). It is likely
that the host contributes somewhat to the measured flux.

The combined spectrum shows an emission line, presumably corresponding to
[O II] 3727 at z = 1.262. At his redshift we find several other absorption
features, including Mg II and Fe II, consistent with the findings of Osip
et al. (GCN 5715). We also detect the intervening Mg II system at z =1.065.

We thank the Paranal staff for excellent support.