10641(  1) - 04/05/05 12:12  - [  1]

    PROPOSAL FOR HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS   ST ScI Use Only
                                                       ID:      10641
                                                       Version: 1
                                                       Check-in Date: 05-Apr-2005
                                                                      16:12:29

1.Proposal Title:
Looks Matter: Tracing Galaxy Evolution Through the Morphologies of GRB Host Galaxies
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2. Proposal For  3. Cycle  4. Parallel Pointing Tolerance
AR               14        <none>
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5. Investigators
                                                                                     Contact?
    PI: Dr. Edo Berger                    Carnegie Institution of Washington
   CoI: Dr. Bryan E. Penprase             Pomona College                                N
   CoI: Dr. Kurt L. Adelberger            Carnegie Institution of Washington            N

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6. Abstract

The assembly and evolution of structure from high redshift to the present is a major
focus of modern cosmology. While theory and simulations provide a picture of the
hierarchical assembly of dark matter, the relation to the assembly of baryonic
matter is not fully understood. The complex evolutionary process (e.g., mergers) are
manifest partly in the morphologies of galaxies, but current studies are limited to
only the bright end of the luminosity function beyond z~1. Moreover, the inter-
relation between the different flux-limited galaxy samples and their relevance to
present-day galaxies is difficult to assess. In this context, the host galaxies of
gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) provide a unique opportunity to observe the evolution of
star-forming galaxies across a wide redshift and luminosity range. GRB selection
allows a spectroscopic redshift determination of even the faintest galaxies and
peaks at z~1-2 where the bulk of star formation takes place and where the Hubble
sequence begins to take shape. Here we request support for an extensive archival
investigation of the morphologies of GRB host galaxies using HST data for fifty GRB
hosts, and integrating these data with Keck, SCUBA, and VLA observations. The bulk
of this support is for summer students who will perform some of the reduction and
analysis, will present the results at a AAS meeting, and will provide a nexus
between Carnegie Observatories and Pomona College in the training of young
astronomers.
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                                                10641(  1) - 04/05/05 12:12  - [  2]

            Summary Form for Proposal  10641

  Item                         Used in this proposal
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  Proposal Category            AR
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