Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

GRB 090423 at a redshift of z ≈ 8.1

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are produced by rare types of massive stellar explosion. Their rapidly fading afterglows are often bright enough at optical wavelengths that they are detectable at cosmological distances. Hitherto, the highest known redshift for a GRB was z = 6.7 (ref. 1), for GRB 080913, and for a galaxy was z = 6.96 (ref. 2). Here we report observations of GRB 090423 and the near-infrared spectroscopic measurement of its redshift, z = . This burst happened when the Universe was only about 4 per cent of its current age3. Its properties are similar to those of GRBs observed at low/intermediate redshifts, suggesting that the mechanisms and progenitors that gave rise to this burst about 600,000,000 years after the Big Bang are not markedly different from those producing GRBs about 10,000,000,000 years later.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1: Rest-frame γ-ray and X-ray light curves for bursts at different redshifts.
Figure 2: TNG spectrum of the near-infrared afterglow.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Greiner, J. et al. GRB 080913 at redshift 6.7. Astrophys. J. 693, 1610–1620 (2009)

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Iye, M. et al. A galaxy at a redshift z = 6.96. Nature 443, 186–188 (2006)

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Komatsu, E. et al. Five-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe observations: cosmological interpretation. Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 180, 330–376 (2009)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Palmer, D. M. et al. GRB 090423: Swift-BAT refined analysis. GCN Circ. 9204, (2009)

  5. Stratta, G. & Perri, M. GRB 090423: Swift-XRT refined analysis. GCN Circ. 9212, (2009)

  6. De Pasquale, M. & Krimm, H. GRB090423 - Swift/UVOT upper limits. GCN Circ. 9210, (2009)

  7. Tanvir, N. et al. A γ-ray burst at a redshift of z ≈ 8.2. Nature 10.1038/nature08459 (this issue)

  8. Thoene, C. C. et al. GRB 090423: TNG Amici spectrum. GCN Circ. 9216, (2009)

  9. Fernández-Soto, A. et al. GRB 090423: refined TNG analysis. GCN Circ. 9222, (2009)

  10. von Kienlin, A. GRB 090423: Fermi GBM observation. GCN Circ. 9229, (2009)

  11. Mészáros, P. Gamma-ray bursts. Rep. Prog. Phys. 69, 2259–2322 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Zhang, B. Gamma-ray bursts in the Swift era. Chin. J. Astron. Astrophys. 7, 1–50 (2007)

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Amati, L. et al. On the consistency of peculiar GRBs 060218 and 060614 with the E p,i – E iso correlation. Astron. Astrophys. 463, 913–919 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Schady, P. et al. Dust and gas in the local environments of gamma-ray bursts. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 377, 273–284 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Stratta, G. et al. Dust properties at z = 6.3 in the host galaxy of GRB 050904. Astrophys. J. 661, 9–12 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. Schneider, R. et al. First stars, very massive black holes, and metals. Astrophys. J. 571, 30–39 (2002)

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Springel, V. et al. Simulations of the formation, evolution and clustering of galaxies and quasars. Nature 435, 629–636 (2005)

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Nagamine, K. et al. Tracing early structure formation with massive starburst galaxies and their implications for reionization. N. Astron. 50, 29–34 (2006)

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. Choudhury, T. R., Ferrara, A. & Gallerani, S. On the minimum mass of reionization sources. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 385, L58–L62 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. Fruchter, A. S. et al. Long γ-ray bursts and core-collapse supernovae have different environments. Nature 7092, 463–468 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Lamb, D. Q. & Reichart, D. E. Gamma-ray bursts as a probe of the very high redshift universe. Astrophys. J. 536, 1–18 (2000)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Guetta, D., Piran, T. & Waxman, E. The luminosity and angular distributions of long-duration gamma-ray bursts. Astrophys. J. 619, 412–419 (2005)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Bromm, V. & Loeb, A. High-redshift gamma-ray bursts from population III progenitors. Astrophys. J. 642, 382–388 (2006)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Salvaterra, R. & Chincarini, G. The gamma-ray burst luminosity function in the light of the Swift 2 year data. Astrophys. J. 656, 49–52 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Woosley, S. E. & Bloom, J. S. The supernova gamma-ray burst connection. Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 44, 507–556 (2006)

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. Salvaterra, R. et al. Evidence for luminosity evolution of long gamma-ray bursts in Swift data. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 396, 299–303 (2009)

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. Chary, R.-R. The stellar initial mass function at the epoch of reionization. Astrophys. J. 680, 32–40 (2008)

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. Bolton, J. S. & Haehnelt, M. G. The observed ionization rate of the intergalactic medium and the ionizing emissivity at z ≥ 5: evidence for a photon-starved and extended epoch of reionization. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 382, 325–341 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. Furlanetto, S. R. & Mesinger, A. The ionizing background at the end of reionization. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 394, 1667–1673 (2009)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. Stiavelli, M. From First Light to Reionization: The End of the Dark Ages (Wiley-VCH, 2009)

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the TNG staff for useful support during target-of-opportunity observations, in particular A. Fiorenzano, N. Sacchi and A. G. de Gurtubai Escudero. We thank A. Ferrara for discussions. This research was supported by the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, the Ministero dell’Università e della Ricerca, the Ministero degli Affari Esteri, NASA and the US National Science Foundation.

Author Contributions Direct analysis of the Swift data: S. Campana, G. Chincarini, C.G., R.M., S.D.B., M.D.P., F.E.M., J.N., J.L.R., G. Cusumano, E.E.F., P.G., S.T.H., J.M., C.B.M., C.P., D.M.P.; analysis of the TNG and photometric data: M.D.V., S. Covino, P.D’A., A.F.-S., C.C.T., L.A.A., F.M., V.D’E., F.F., D.F., L.K.H., E. Maiorano, E. Molinari, S.M.; management of optical follow-up: P.D’A., L.A.A., V.D’E., E. Maiorano, S.M., G.A., P.F., G.L.I., N.M., E.P., S.P., G.T., V.T.; interpretation of the GRB properties: R.S., M.D.V., S. Campana, G. Chincarini, S. Covino, P.D’A., A.F.-S., C.G., R.M., C.C.T., L.A., E.P., L.S., K.H.; modelling of the GRB luminosity function: R.S., M.D.V., S. Campana, G. Chincarini, C.G., D.G., G.T. All authors made contributions through their involvement in the programmes from which the data derive, and contributed to the interpretation, content and discussion presented here.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Via E. Bianchi 46, 23807 Merate (LC), Italy,

    R. Salvaterra, S. Campana, G. Chincarini, S. Covino, P. D’Avanzo, R. Margutti, C. C. Thöne, D. Fugazza, E. Molinari, J. Mao & G. Tagliaferri

  2. INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Salita Moiariello 16, 80131 Napoli, Italy,

    M. Della Valle

  3. European Southern Observatory, 85748 Garching, Germany

    M. Della Valle

  4. International Centre for Relativistic Astrophysics, Piazzale della Repubblica 2, 65122 Pescara, Italy,

    M. Della Valle

  5. Dipartimento di Fisica G. Occhialini, Università di Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 3, 20126 Milano, Italy,

    G. Chincarini, P. D’Avanzo & R. Margutti

  6. Instituto de Fisica de Cantabria, CSIC-Universidad Cantabria, Avenida de los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain,

    A. Fernández-Soto

  7. Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Ferrara, Via Saragat 1, 44100 Ferrara, Italy,

    C. Guidorzi

  8. INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy,

    F. Mannucci & L. K. Hunt

  9. INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Via di Frascati 33, 00040 Monte Porzio Catone, Rome, Italy,

    L. A. Antonelli, V. D’Elia, F. Fiore, L. Stella, D. Guetta, G. L. Israel, S. Piranomonte & V. Testa

  10. NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA,

    S. D. Barthelmy, F. E. Marshall, S. T. Holland & C. B. Markwardt

  11. Mullard Space Science Laboratory (UCL), Holmbury Road, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking RH5 6NT, UK,

    M. De Pasquale

  12. INAF, IASF di Bologna, Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy,

    E. Maiorano, L. Amati, N. Masetti & E. Palazzi

  13. INAF, Fundación Galileo Galilei, Rambla José Ana Fernández Pérez 7, 38712 Breña Baja, TF - Spain,

    S. Marinoni, E. Molinari & G. Andreuzzi

  14. Università degli Studi di Bologna, Via Ranzani 1, 40127 Bologna, Italy,

    S. Marinoni

  15. Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA,

    J. Nousek, J. L. Racusin & C. Pagani

  16. INAF, Trieste Astronomical Observatory, Via G. B. Tiepolo 11, 34143 Trieste, Italy,

    E. Pian

  17. Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 1, 56100 Pisa, Italy,

    E. Pian

  18. INAF, Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Palermo, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy,

    G. Cusumano & D. M. Palmer

  19. Los Alamos National Laboratory, PO Box 1663, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA,

    E. E. Fenimore

  20. Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Sternwarte 5, 07778 Tautenburg, Germany,

    P. Ferrero

  21. ASI Science Data Center, ASDC c/o ESRIN, Via G. Galilei, 00044 Frascati, Italy,

    P. Giommi

  22. Universities Space Research Association, 10211 Wincopin Circle, Suite 500, Columbia, Maryland 21044, USA,

    S. T. Holland

  23. Centre for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology, Code 668.8, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA,

    S. T. Holland & C. B. Markwardt

  24. Space Sciences Laboratory, 7 Gauss Way, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-7450, USA,

    K. Hurley

  25. Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA,

    C. B. Markwardt

Authors
  1. R. Salvaterra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Della Valle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. S. Campana
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. G. Chincarini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S. Covino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. P. D’Avanzo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. A. Fernández-Soto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. C. Guidorzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. F. Mannucci
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. R. Margutti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. C. C. Thöne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. L. A. Antonelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. S. D. Barthelmy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  14. M. De Pasquale
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  15. V. D’Elia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  16. F. Fiore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  17. D. Fugazza
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  18. L. K. Hunt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  19. E. Maiorano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  20. S. Marinoni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  21. F. E. Marshall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  22. E. Molinari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  23. J. Nousek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  24. E. Pian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  25. J. L. Racusin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  26. L. Stella
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  27. L. Amati
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  28. G. Andreuzzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  29. G. Cusumano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  30. E. E. Fenimore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  31. P. Ferrero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  32. P. Giommi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  33. D. Guetta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  34. S. T. Holland
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  35. K. Hurley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  36. G. L. Israel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  37. J. Mao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  38. C. B. Markwardt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  39. N. Masetti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  40. C. Pagani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  41. E. Palazzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  42. D. M. Palmer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  43. S. Piranomonte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  44. G. Tagliaferri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  45. V. Testa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Salvaterra.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

This file contains Supplementary Data, Supplementary References and Supplementary Figures 1-6 with Legends. (PDF 628 kb)

PowerPoint slides

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Salvaterra, R., Valle, M., Campana, S. et al. GRB 090423 at a redshift of z ≈ 8.1. Nature 461, 1258–1260 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08445

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08445

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation