Invited review of short-burst host galaxies at the HEAD meeting, cementing the demographic case for compact-object mergers.
HEAD abstract 16.01, with the Bay Area GRB Group.
Thanks in large measure to Swift, we now understand that the host galaxies of short-hard GRBs, and the location of the bursts around those galaxies, are markedly different than with long-soft GRBs. I will review the latest developments in what the short burst–host configuration tells us about the nature of the progenitors. I will then look forward to what observations might yield new insights with current and future facilities.