The host of GRB 030323 at z=3.372: A very high column density DLA system with a low metallicity

We present photometry and spectroscopy of the afterglow of GRB 030323. VET spectra of the afterglow show damped Lyalpha (DLA) absorption and low- and high-ionization lines at a redshift z = 3.3718 +/- 0.0005. The inferred neutral hydrogen column density, log N(H I) = 21.90 +/- 0.07, is larger than any (GRB- or QSO-) DLA H I column density inferred directly from Lyalpha in absorption, From the afterglow photometry, we derive a conservative upper limit to the host-galaxy extinction: A(V) < 0.5 mag. The iron abundance is [Fe/H] = -1.47 &PLUSMN; 0.11, while the rnetallicity of the gas as measured from sulphur is [S/H] = -1.26 &PLUSMN; 0.20. We derive an upper limit on the H-2 molecular fraction of 2N(H-2)/(2N(H-2) + N(H I)) &LSIM; 10(-6). In the Ly&alpha; trough, a Ly&alpha; emission line is detected, which corresponds to a star-formation rate (not corrected for dust extinction) of roughly I M. yr(-1). All these results are consistent with the host galaxy of GRB 030323 consisting of a low metallicity gas with a low dust content. We detect fine-structure lines of silicon, Si II*, which have never been clearly detected in QSO-DLAs; this Suggests that these lines are produced in the vicinity of the GRB explosion site. Under the assumption that these fine-structure levels are Populated by particle collisions, we estimate the H I volume density to be n(H I) = 10(2)-10(4) cm(-3). HST/ACS imaging 4 months after the burst shows an extended AB(F606W) = 28.0 &PLUSMN; 0.3 mag object at a distance of 0.&DPRIME;14 (1 kpc) from the early afterglow location, which presumably is the host galaxy of GRB 030323.