TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  14390
SUBJECT: GRB130418A: VLT/X-shooter redshift confirmation
DATE:    13/04/19 12:06:21 GMT
FROM:    Thomas Kruehler at Dark Cosmology Center  <tom@dark-cosmology.dk>

T. Kruehler, D. Xu (both DARK), R. Sanchez-Ramirez (IAA-CSIC),
D. Malesani, J. Fynbo (both DARK) and H. Flores (GEPI/Obs. de Paris)
report on behalf of a larger collaboration:

We observed the optical/NIR counterpart (e.g., De Pasquale et al. GCN
14377, Gorosabel et al. GCN 14378) of GRB 130418A (De Pasquale et al.
GCN 14377) with the VLT/X-shooter spectrograph.

Our spectra cover the wavelength range 3000-25000 AA, and were taken
starting on 2013 Apr 18, 23:35:08 UT (4.57 hr after the GRB) for a
total exposure of 20 min.

We identify absorption lines of CIV, FeII and MgII at a common redshift
of z = 1.217 (see also de Ugarte Postigo et al., GCN 14380). The
doublet of CIV (1548, 1550) is also detected in a second absorption
system at z = 1.218. No emission lines are evident in our spectrum.

We thank the VLT staff, in particular Henri Boffin, Dimitri Gadotti and
Alex Correa, for the expert support in obtaining these data.