[vsnet-grb-info 5957] GRB 080413B: VLT redshift

[GCN Circulars]

TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  7601
SUBJECT: GRB 080413B: VLT redshift
DATE:    08/04/13 10:58:47 GMT
FROM:    Daniele Malesani at Niels Bohr Inst,Dark Cosmology Center  <malesani at astro.ku.dk>

Paul M. Vreeswijk, Christina C. Thoene, Daniele Malesani, Johan P. U. 
Fynbo, Jens Hjorth (DARK/NBI), Pall Jakobsson (Univ. Hertfordshire), 
Nial R. Tanvir (Univ. Leicester), and Andrew J. Levan (Univ. Warwick), 
report on behalf of a larger collaboration:

We observed the afterglow of the possibly short GRB 080413B (Stamatikos 
et al., GCN 7598) with the ESO VLT equipped with FORS1. A 600 s spectrum 
centered on Apr 13.403 UT (49.5 min after the GRB) was acquired covering 
the range 3500-9000 AA.

 From detection of numerous absorption features, including Fe II, Mg II 
and Mg I lines, we infer a redshift z = 1.10. In particular, we detect 
the Fe II 2396 fine-structure line, which confirms this redshift is very 
likely that of the host of the GRB.

We acknowledge excellent support from the VLT staff, particularly Thomas 
Szeifert, Jose Cortes, and Gianni Marconi.