Constraints on the z ∼ 5 Star-forming Galaxy Luminosity Function From Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of an Unbiased and Complete Sample of Long Gamma-Ray Burst Host Galaxies

Sears, H ORCID: 0000-0001-8023-4912, Chornock, R ORCID: 0000-0002-7706-5668, Strader, J ORCID: 0000-0002-1468-9668, Perley, DA ORCID: 0000-0001-8472-1996, Blanchard, PK ORCID: 0000-0003-0526-2248, Margutti, R ORCID: 0000-0003-4768-7586 and Tanvir, NR ORCID: 0000-0003-3274-6336 (2024) Constraints on the z ∼ 5 Star-forming Galaxy Luminosity Function From Hubble Space Telescope Imaging of an Unbiased and Complete Sample of Long Gamma-Ray Burst Host Galaxies. The Astrophysical Journal, 966 (1). ISSN 0004-637X

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Abstract

We present rest-frame UV Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the largest and most complete sample of 23 long-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) host galaxies between redshifts 4 and 6. Of these 23, we present new WFC3/F110W imaging for 19 of the hosts, which we combine with archival WFC3/F110W and WFC3/F140W imaging for the remaining four. We use the photometry of the host galaxies from this sample to characterize both the rest-frame UV luminosity function (LF) and the size–luminosity relation of the sample. We find that when assuming the standard Schechter-function parameterization for the UV LF, the GRB host sample is best fit with
and mag, which are consistent with results based on z ∼ 5 Lyman-break galaxies. We find that ∼68% of our size–luminosity measurements fall within or below the same relation for Lyman-break galaxies at z ∼ 4. This study observationally confirms expectations that at z ∼ 5 Lyman-break and GRB host galaxies should trace the same population and demonstrates the utility of GRBs as probes of hidden star formation in the high-redshift Universe. Under the assumption that GRBs unbiasedly trace star formation at this redshift, our nondetection fraction of 7/23 is consistent at the 95% confidence level with 13%–53% of star formation at redshift z ∼ 5 occurring in galaxies fainter than our detection limit of M1600Å ≈ −18.3 mag.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences; 0202 Atomic, Molecular, Nuclear, Particle and Plasma Physics; 0306 Physical Chemistry (incl. Structural); Astronomy & Astrophysics
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy Q Science > QC Physics
Divisions:	Astrophysics Research Institute
Publisher:	American Astronomical Society
Date of acceptance:	27 February 2024
Date of first compliant Open Access:	16 May 2024
Date Deposited:	16 May 2024 10:36
Last Modified:	04 Jul 2025 12:01
DOI or ID number:	10.3847/1538-4357/ad2e93
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/23276

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