Are the hosts of gamma-ray bursts sub-luminous and blue galaxies?

LE FLOCH, EMERIC; DUC, PIERRE ALAIN; MIRABEL, I. FELIX; SANDERS, D. B; BOSCH, GUILLERMO; DÍAZ, RUBÉN; DOZELLI, C. J

ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

EDP SCIENCES S A

Año: 2003 vol. 400 p. 499 - 510

0004-6361

We present K-band imaging observations of ten gamma-ray burst (GRB) host galaxies for which an optical and/or radio afterglow associated with the GRB event was clearly identified. Data were obtained with the Very Large Telescope and New Technology Telescope at ESO (Chile), and with the Gemini-North telescope at Mauna Kea (Hawaii). Adding to our sample nine other GRB hosts with K-band photometry and determined redshifts published in the literature, we compare their observed and absolute K magnitudes as well as their R-K colours with those of other distant sources detected in various optical, near-infrared, mid-infrared and submillimeter deep surveys. We find that the GRB host galaxies, most of them lying at 0.5