Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Marco Castellano
Adriano Fontana
Tommaso Treu
Emiliano Merlin
Paola Santini
Pietro Bergamini
Claudio Grillo
Piero Rosati
Ana Acebron
Nicha Leethochawalit
Diego Paris
Andrea Bonchi
Davide Belfiori
Antonello Calabrò
Matteo Correnti
Mario Nonino
Gianluca Polenta
Michele Trenti
Kristan Boyett
G. Brammer
Abstract： We report the detection of a high density of redshift $z\approx 10$ galaxies behind the foreground cluster Abell 2744, selected from imaging data obtained recently with NIRCam onboard JWST by three programs -- GLASS-JWST, UNCOVER, and DDT-2756. To ensure robust estimates of the lensing magnification $\mu$, we use an improved version of our model that exploits the first epoch of NIRCam images and newly obtained MUSE spectra, and avoids regions with $\mu>5$ where the uncertainty may be higher. We detect seven bright $z\approx 10$ galaxies with demagnified rest-frame $-22 \lesssim M_{\rm UV}\lesssim -19$ mag, over an area of $\sim37$ sq. arcmin. Taking into account photometric incompleteness and the effects of lensing on luminosity and cosmological volume, we find that the density of $z\approx 10$ galaxies in the field is about $10\times$ ($3\times$) larger than the average at $M_{UV}\approx -21 (-20)$ mag reported so far. The density is even higher when considering only the GLASS-JWST data, which are the depeest and the least affected by magnification and incompleteness. The GLASS-JWST field contains 5 out of 7 galaxies, distributed along an apparent filamentary structure of 2 Mpc in projected length, and includes a close pair of candidates with $M_{\rm UV}< -20$ mag having a projected separation of only 16 kpc. These findings suggest the presence of a $z\approx 10$ overdensity in the field. In addition to providing excellent targets for efficient spectroscopic follow-up observations, our study confirms the high density of bright galaxies observed in early JWST observations, but calls for multiple surveys along independent lines of sight to achieve an unbiased estimate of their average density and a first estimate of their clustering.
Peer Review Status:
Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Marco Castellano
Adriano Fontana
Tommaso Treu
Paola Santini
Emiliano Merlin
Nicha Leethochawalit
Michele Trenti
Uros Mestric
Eros Vanzella
Andrea Bonchi
Davide Belfiori
Mario Nonino
Diego Paris
Gianluca Polenta
Guido Roberts-Borsani
Kristan Boyett
Marusa Bradac
Antonello Calabro
Karl Glazebrook
Claudio Grillo
Abstract： We present the results of a first search for galaxy candidates at z$\sim$9--15 on deep seven-bands NIRCam imaging acquired as part of the GLASS-JWST Early Release Science Program on a flanking field of the Frontier Fields cluster A2744. Candidates are selected via two different renditions of the Lyman-break technique, isolating objects at z$\sim$9-11, and z$\sim$9-15, respectively, supplemented by photometric redshifts obtained with two independent codes. We find five color-selected candidates at z$>$9, plus one additional candidate with photometric redshift z$_{phot}\geq$9. In particular, we identify two bright candidates at $M_{UV}\simeq -21$ that are unambiguously placed at $z\simeq 10.6$ and $z\simeq 12.2$, respectively. The total number of galaxies discovered at $z>9$ is in line with the predictions of a non-evolving LF. The two bright ones at $z>10$ are unexpected given the survey volume, although cosmic variance and small number statistics limits general conclusions. This first search demonstrates the unique power of JWST to discover galaxies at the high redshift frontier. The candidates are ideal targets for spectroscopic follow-up in Cycle$-2$.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Emiliano Merlin
Andrea Bonchi
Diego Paris
Davide Belfiori
Adriano Fontana
Marco Castellano
Mario Nonino
Gianluca Polenta
Paola Santini
Lilan Yang
Karl Glazebrook
Tommaso Treu
Guido Roberts-Borsani
Michele Trenti
Simon Birrer
Gabriel Brammer
Claudio Grillo
Antonello Calabrò
Danilo Marchesini
Charlotte Mason
Abstract： We present the reduced images and multi-wavelength catalog of the first JWST NIRCam extra-galactic observations from the GLASS Early Release Science Program, obtained as coordinated parallels of the NIRISS observations of the Abell 2744 cluster. Images in seven bands (F090W, F115W, F150W, F200W, F277W, F356W, F444W) have been reduced using an augmented version of the official JWST pipeline; we discuss the procedures adopted to remove or mitigate defects in the raw images. We obtain a multi--band catalog by means of forced aperture photometry on PSF-matched images at the position of F444W-detected sources. The catalog is intended to enable early scientific investigations, and it is optimized for faint galaxies; it contains 6368 sources, with limiting magnitude 29.7 at 5$\sigma$ in F444W. We release both images and catalog in order to allow the community to familiarize with the JWST NIRCam data and evaluate their merit and limitations given the current level of knowledge of the instrument.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Benedetta Vulcani
Tommaso Treu
Antonello Calabro
Jacopo Fritz
Bianca Poggianti
Pietro Bergamini
Andrea Bonchi
Kit Boyett
Gabriel Caminha
Marco Castellano
Alan Dressler
Adriano Fontana
Karl Glazebrook
Claudio Grillo
Matthew Malkan
Sara Mascia
Amata Mercurio
Emiliano Merlin
Benjamin Metha
Takahiro Morishita
Abstract： We combine the superior JWST/NIRCam imaging and MUSE data to characterize the properties of galaxies in different environmental conditions in the cluster Abell2744 (z=0.3064) and in its immediate surroundings. Our most striking result is the discovery of a ``red-excess'' population in F200W-F444W colors both in the cluster regions and the field. These galaxies have normal F115W-F150W colors, but are up to 0.8 mag redder than red sequence galaxies in F200W-F444W. They also have rather blue rest frame B-V colors. Galaxies with the largest color deviations are found in the field and at the cluster virial radius, suggesting that mechanisms taking place in these regions might be more effective in producing these colors. Looking at their morphology, many cluster galaxies show signatures consistent with ram pressure stripping, while field galaxies have features resembling interactions and mergers. Our hypothesis is that these galaxies are characterized by dust enshrouded star formation: a JWST/NIRSpec spectrum for one of the galaxies is dominated by a strong PAH at 3.3mu m, suggestive of dust obscured star formation. Larger spectroscopic samples are needed to understand if the color excess is due exclusively to dust-obscured star formation, and the role of environment in triggering it.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Diego Paris
Emiliano Merlin
Adriano Fontana
Andrea Bonchi
Gabriel Brammer
Matteo Correnti
Tommaso Treu
Kristan Boyett
Antonello Calabrò
Marco Castellano
Wenlei Chen
Lilan Yang
Karl Glazebrook
Patrick Kelly
Anton M. Koekemoer
Nicha Leethochawalit
Sara Mascia
Charlotte Mason
Takahiro Morishita
Mario Nonino
Abstract： We present images and a multi-wavelength photometric catalog based on all of the JWST NIRCam observations obtained to date in the region of the Abell 2744 galaxy cluster. These data come from three different programs, namely the GLASS-JWST Early Release Science Program, UNCOVER, and Director's Discretionary Time program 2756. The observed area in the NIRCam wide-band filters - covering the central and extended regions of the cluster, as well as new parallel fields - is 46.5 arcmin$^2$ in total. All images in eight bands (F090W, F115W, F150W, F200W, F277W, F356W, F410M, F444W) have been reduced adopting the latest calibration and references available to date. Data reduction has been performed using an augmented version of the official JWST pipeline, with improvements aimed at removing or mitigating defects in the raw images and improve the background subtraction and photometric accuracy. We obtain a F444W-detected multi-band catalog including all NIRCam data and available HST data, adopting forced aperture photometry on PSF-matched images. The catalog is intended to enable early scientific investigations, and is optimized for the study of faint galaxies; it contains 24389 sources, with a 5$\sigma$ limiting magnitude in the F444W band ranging from 28.5 to 30.5 AB, as a result of the varying exposure times of the surveys that observed the field. We publicly release the reduced NIRCam images, associated multi-wavelength catalog, and code adopted for $1/f$ noise removal with tha aim of aiding users to familiarize themselves with JWST NIRCam data and identify targets for follow-up observations.
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
Subjects: Astronomy >> Astrophysical processes submitted time 2023-02-19
Guido Roberts-Borsani
Tommaso Treu
Wenlei Chen
Takahiro Morishita
Eros Vanzella
Adi Zitrin
Pietro Bergamini
Marco Castellano
Adriano Fontana
Claudio Grillo
Patrick L. Kelly
Emiliano Merlin
Diego Paris
Piero Rosati
Ana Acebron
Andrea Bonchi
Kit Boyett
Marusa Bradac
Tom Broadhurst
Antonello Calabro
Abstract： The appearance of galaxies over the first billion years after the Big Bang is believed to be responsible for the last dramatic change in the state of the Universe. Ultraviolet photons from galaxies within this time period - the Epoch of Reionization - ionized intergalactic Hydrogen, rendering the Universe transparent to UV radiation and ending the so-called cosmic Dark Ages, sometime after redshift $z\sim8$. The majority of ionizing photons in the first few hundred Myrs of cosmic history are thought to derive from galaxies significantly fainter than the characteristic luminosity $L^{*}$. These faint galaxies are thought to be surrounded by sufficient neutral gas to prevent the escape of the Lyman-$\alpha$ photons that would allow confirmation with current observatories. Here we demonstrate the power of the recently commissioned James Webb Space Telescope to transform our understanding of the sources of reionization, by reporting the first spectroscopic confirmation of a very low luminosity ($\sim0.05 L^{*}$) galaxy at $z=9.76$, observed 480 Myr after the Big Bang, via the detection of the Lyman-break and redward continuum with the NIRSpec and NIRCam instruments. The galaxy JD1 is gravitationally magnified by a factor of $\mu\sim13$ by the foreground cluster A2744. The power of JWST and lensing allows us to peer deeper than ever before into the cosmic Dark Ages, revealing the compact ($\sim$150 pc) and complex morphology and physical properties of an ultrafaint galaxy ($M_{\rm UV}=-17.45$).
Peer Review Status:Awaiting Review
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