Program: GN-2019B-Q-134

Short duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are brief (<2 s) and sudden flashes of gamma-ray radiation originated by the collision (or merger) of two compact objects, either two neutron stars (NSs) or a NS and a black hole (BH). Whereas future LIGO/Virgo detections will probe these systems in the local universe, short GRBs offer a unique route to study their evolution over cosmic time, and their contribution to the heavy element enrichment. Rapid Gemini ToO observations are critical in order to precisely localize the burst, characterize its temporal evolution, determine its host galaxy morphology and distance scale. The proposed Gemini observations will complement our approved programs on HST and Chandra. Only a synergistic multi-wavelength effort can effectively pin down the fingerprints of heavy element production, the so-called kilonova, in the optical/nIR light of nearby short GRBs.