Ly-alpha and UV emission from high-redshift GRB hosts: To what extent do GRBs trace star formation?

Abstract

We report the result of a search for Ly-alpha emission from the host galaxies of the gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) 030226 (z = 1.986), 021004 (z = 2.335) and 020124 (z = 3.198). We find that the host galaxy of GRB 021004 is an extended (around 8 kpc) strong Ly-alpha emitter with a restframe equivalent width (EW) of 68^{+12}_{-11} AA, and a star-formation rate of 10.6 +/- 2.0 M_sun/yr. We do not detect the hosts of GRB 030226 and GRB 020124, but the upper limits on their Ly-alpha fluxes do not rule out large restframe EWs. In the fields of GRB 021004 and GRB 030226 we find seven and five other galaxies, respectively, with excess emission in the narrow-band filter. These galaxies are candidate Ly-alpha emitting galaxies in the environment of the host galaxies. We have also compiled a list of all z > 2 GRB hosts, and demonstrate that a scenario where they trace star formation in an unbiased way is compatible with current observational constraints. Fitting the z=3 luminosity function (LF) under this assumption, results in a characteristic luminosity of R* = 24.6 and a faint end slope of alpha = -1.55, consistent with the LF measured for Lyman-break galaxies.

8 pages, 5 figures. MNRAS, in press

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