Observing run: Radio observations of Gamma-Ray Burst host galaxies with the Australian ATCA radio telescope

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Gamma-Ray Bursts are the most luminous electromagnetic phenomena in the universe, possibly related to the formation of stellar mass black holes in remote galaxies. A fundamental approach to learn more about the GRB progenitor population is the study of their host galaxies. A particularinterest here is the radio band since it might provide an unextinguished view on the star-formation activity in these galaxies. Recently, my group got accepted an observing proposal for the ATCA radio telescope array, Australia, to observe several such galaxies. Altogether 65 hours telescope time were granted (PI: Ana Maria Nicuesa Guelbenzu, Thueringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg). Observations are scheduled for the end of July 2013 (proposal ID: C2840). Unfortunately, I have no travel money any more in the budget of my DFG project Kl 766/16-1, based on which Ana Maria Nicuesa Guelbenzu was hired 3.5 years ago. A new DFG proposal following DFG Kl 766/16-1 ("Fortsetzungsantrag" Kl 16-2) is still under evaluation at the DFG. Herewith, I am asking for a travel grant for Ana Maria Nicuesa Guelbenzu as well as myself in order to perform these scheduled obervations. The immediate goal of this run is to measure the flux of a handful of GRB host galaxies in the 21cm band, which will provide the unobscured star-formationrate. Thereby, we focus for the first time on star-forming host galaxies of short bursts. We want to learn what range in star-formation rates these galaxies do cover.It should be mentioned that these observations at the southern hemisphere can basically not be beated by any other group since ATCA is the best available radio telescope for southern targets. A similar proposal by Ana Maria Nicuesa Guelbenzu for northern targets using the american VLA radiotelescope has been accepted, too, and will be performed in service mode in the coming semester.