Program: GN-2014A-Q-38

Title:Exploring the Cosmic Dawn, Galaxy Evolution, and Exotic Stellar Deaths with Rapid GRB Follow-Up Observations (North)
PI:Edo Berger
Co-I(s): Bethany Cobb, Antonino Cucchiara, Joshua Bloom, Adam Morgan, Andrew Levan, Sebastian Lopez, Wen-Fai Fong, Brad Cenko, Klaas Wiersema, Nial Tanvir, Derek Fox, Daniel Perley, Ryan Chornock, Jason X. Prochaska, Andrew Fruchter, Kathy Roth

Abstract

The study of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows, host galaxies, and associated supernovae (SNe) sheds light on a wide range of open questions in astrophysics, ranging from the deaths of massive stars to cosmic chemical enrichment and the reionization epoch, and soon, the electromagnetic (EM) counterparts of gravitational wave (GW) sources. Over the past decade, Gemini has played a leading role in all aspects of GRB science through its combination of rapid-response spectroscopy and imaging coupled with deep late-time host galaxy, afterglow, and GRB-SN follow-up. Here, we propose to step forward in our long-standing program of ToO observations, with this proposal focusing on "Rapid ToO" science, observations at t <∼ 1 day. In conjunction with an array of multi-wavelength EM facilities, we focus on three key science topics: (1) Identification, characterization, and exploitation of high-redshift GRBs in order to study the evolving IGM and galaxy populations at these redshifts, (2) Studies of short GRB afterglows and their environments to yield insight into the nature of their progenitor population, for connection with forthcoming GW facilities, and (3) Observation of exceptionally energetic bursts detected by the Fermi-LAT instrument, to test models of burst engines and enable their use as testbeds for quantum gravity effects.

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