Presentation 1 : None
Are Gamma-Ray Bursts better probes of star formation than Supernovae ?
E. Le Floc'h and CoIs
Present knowledge indicates that some of the cosmic Gamma-Ray
Bursts (GRBs) originate from the collapse of massive stars. Because
gamma-rays are not affected by dust, GRBs could be used as unbiased
tracers of star formation in the distant Universe. However, the current
sample of their host galaxies does not seem to be accurately
representative of the whole ensemble of star-forming sources observed at
cosmological distances. The lack of massive and/or red starbursts such
as those detected in the ISO/SCUBA deep surveys or among the population
of the Extremely Red Objects may indeed indicate a bias toward
dust-free, faint and blue galaxies. I propose to discuss the potential
features affecting the current selection of distant starbursts with such
GRB events.