分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: With JWST, new opportunities to study the evolution of galaxies in the early Universe are emerging. Spitzer constraints on rest-optical properties of $z\gtrsim7$ galaxies demonstrated the power of using galaxy stellar masses and star formation histories (SFHs) to indirectly infer the cosmic star formation history. However, only the brightest individual $z\gtrsim8$ objects could be detected with Spitzer, making it difficult to robustly constrain activity at $z\gtrsim10$. Here, we leverage the greatly improved rest-optical sensitivity of JWST at $z\gtrsim8$ to constrain the ages of seven UV-bright ($M_{UV}\lesssim-19.5$) galaxies selected to lie at $z\sim8.5-11$, then investigate implications for $z\gtrsim15$ star formation. We infer the properties of individual objects with two spectral energy distribution modelling codes, then infer a distribution of ages for bright $z\sim8.5-11$ galaxies. We find a median age of $\sim20$ Myr, younger than that inferred at $z\sim7$ with a similar analysis, consistent with an evolution towards larger specific star formation rates at early times. The age distribution suggests that only $\sim3$ percent of bright $z\sim8.5-11$ galaxies would be similarly luminous at $z\gtrsim15$, implying that the number density of bright galaxies declines by at least an order of magnitude between $z\sim8.5-11$ and $z\sim15$. This evolution is challenging to reconcile with some early JWST results suggesting the abundance of bright galaxies does not significantly decrease towards very early times, but we suggest this tension may be eased if young stellar populations form on top of older stellar components, or if bright $z\sim15$ galaxies are observed during a burst of star formation.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: The onset of the {\it JWST}-era provides a much-improved opportunity to
characterize the resolved structure of early star forming systems. Previous
{\it Spitzer} observations of $z\gtrsim 6$ galaxies revealed the presence of
old stars and luminous HII regions (via [OIII]+H$\beta$ emission), but the poor
resolution stunted our ability to map their locations with respect to the star
forming regions identified in the rest-UV. In this paper, we investigate the
internal structure of 12 of the most luminous $z\simeq 6-8$ galaxies in the EGS
field observed with recent {\it JWST}/NIRCam imaging. The systems appear clumpy
in the rest-UV, with more than half of the light coming from $\simeq 10^7$ to
10$^{9}$ M$_\odot$ star forming complexes that are $\simeq 150$ - 480 pc in
size. The clumps tend to be dominated by young stars (median = 36 Myr), but we
also find large variations in clump ages within individual galaxies. The
[OIII]+H$\beta$ EW varies significantly across individual galaxies (reflecting
differences in stellar and gas properties), but the HII regions largely track
the UV-bright complexes. Perhaps surprisingly, the rest-optical continuum is
just as clumpy as the UV, and we do not find older (and redder) nuclear stellar
components that were previously undetected or faint in the UV. The majority of
the stellar mass in bright $6
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: The ultraviolet (UV) continuum slope ($\beta~$where$~f_\lambda\propto\lambda^\beta$) of galaxies is sensitive to a variety of properties, from the metallicity and age of the stellar population to dust attenuation throughout the galaxy. Considerable attention has focused on identifying reionization-era galaxies with very blue UV slopes ($\beta7$.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: Interstellar dust captures a significant fraction of elements heavier than helium in the solid state and is an indispensable component both in theory and observations of galaxy evolution. Dust emission is generally the primary coolant of the interstellar medium (ISM) and facilitates the gravitational collapse and fragmentation of gas clouds from which stars form, while altering the emission spectrum of galaxies from ultraviolet (UV) to far-infrared wavelengths through the reprocessing of starlight. However, the astrophysical origin of various types of dust grains remains an open question, especially in the early Universe. Here we report direct evidence for the presence of carbonaceous grains from the detection of the broad UV absorption feature around $2175 \, \mathring{\rm A}$ in deep near-infrared spectra of galaxies up to the first billion years of cosmic time, at a redshift ($z$) of $\sim 7$. This dust attenuation feature has previously only been observed spectroscopically in older, more evolved galaxies at redshifts of $z < 3$. The carbonaceous grains giving rise to this feature are often thought to be produced on timescales of hundreds of millions of years by asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. Our results suggest a more rapid production scenario, likely in supernova (SN) ejecta.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: We present band 6 ALMA observations of a heavily-obscured radio-loud ($L_{1.4\ \mathrm{GHz}}=10^{25.4}$ W Hz$^{-1}$) AGN candidate at $z_\mathrm{phot}=6.83\pm0.06$ found in the 1.5 deg$^2$ COSMOS field. The ALMA data reveal detections of exceptionally strong [CII]158$\mu$m ($z_\mathrm{[CII]}=6.8532$) and underlying dust continuum emission from this object (COS-87259), where the [CII] line luminosity, line width, and 158$\mu$m continuum luminosity are comparable to that seen from $z\sim7$ sub-mm galaxies and quasar hosts. The 158$\mu$m continuum detection suggests a total infrared luminosity of $9\times10^{12}$ $L_\odot$ with corresponding very large obscured star formation rate (1300 $M_\odot$/yr) and dust mass ($2\times10^9$ $M_\odot$). The strong break seen between the VIRCam and IRAC photometry perhaps suggests that COS-87259 is an extremely massive reionization era galaxy with $M_\ast\approx1.7\times10^{11}$ $M_\odot$. Moreover, the MIPS, PACS, and SPIRE detections imply that this object harbors an AGN that is heavily obscured ($\tau_{_{\mathrm{9.7\mu m}}}=2.3$) with a bolometric luminosity of approximately $5\times10^{13}$ $L_\odot$. Such a very high AGN luminosity suggests this object is powered by an $\approx$1.6 $\times$ 10$^9$ $M_\odot$ black hole if accreting near the Eddington limit, and is effectively a highly-obscured version of an extremely UV-luminous ($M_{1450}\approx-27.3$) $z\sim7$ quasar. Notably, these $z\sim7$ quasars are an exceedingly rare population ($\sim$0.001 deg$^{-2}$) while COS-87259 was identified over a relatively small field. Future very wide-area surveys with, e.g., Roman and Euclid have the potential to identify many more extremely red yet UV-bright $z\gtrsim7$ objects similar to COS-87259, providing richer insight into the occurrence of intense obscured star formation and supermassive black hole growth among this population.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: Local galaxies are known to broadly follow a bimodal distribution: actively star forming and quiescent systems (i.e. galaxies with no or negligible star formation activity at the epoch of observation). Why, when and how such bimodality was established, and whether it has been associated with different processes at different cosmic epochs, is still a key open question in extragalactic astrophysics. Directly observing early quiescent galaxies in the primordial Universe is therefore of utmost importance to constraining models of galaxy formation and transformation. Early quiescent galaxies have been identified out to redshift $z 10^{10}~M_{\odot}$). Here we report the discovery of a quiescent galaxy at z$=$7.3, when the Universe was only 700 Myr old - about 5% of its current age. The JWST/NIRSpec spectrum of this galaxy from our JADES programme exhibits a complete absence of nebular emission lines, while the Balmer break and Ly$\alpha$ drop are unambiguously detected. We infer that this galaxy experienced a short and intense burst of star formation followed by rapid quenching, about 10-20 Myr before the epoch of observation. Particularly interesting is that the mass of this quiescent galaxy is only $\sim$4-6$\times 10^8~M_{\odot}$. This mass range is sensitive to various feedback mechanisms that can result in temporary or permanent quiescence. Therefore this galaxy represents a unique opportunity to learn more about galaxy formation and transformation in the early Universe.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: We report the discovery of a remarkable Ly$\alpha$ emitting galaxy at $z=7.278$, JADES-GS+53.16746-27.7720 (shortened to JADES-GS-z7-LA), with EW$_0$(Ly$\alpha$) $\approx400 \pm 90$A and UV magnitude $-16.7$. The spectroscopic redshift is confirmed via rest-frame optical lines [O II], H$\beta$ and [O III] in its JWST/NIRSpec Micro-Shutter Assembly (MSA) spectrum. The Ly$\alpha$ line is detected in both lower resolution ($R\sim100$) PRISM as well as medium resolution ($R\sim1000$) G140M grating spectra. The Ly$\alpha$ FWHM in the grating is $\approx360$ km s$^{-1}$ and the line peaks within $120$ km s$^{-1}$ of the systemic redshift, indicative of very little neutral gas or dust within the galaxy. We estimate the Ly$\alpha$ escape fraction to be $\sim100\%$. JADES-GS-z7-LA has a [O III]/[O II] ratio (O32) of $8.8 \pm 1.1$ and ([O III]+[O II])/H$\beta$ ratio (R23) of $9.6\pm2.2$, consistent with low metallicity and high ionization parameters. Deep NIRCam imaging also revealed a close companion source (separated by $0.23''$), which exhibits similar photometry to that of JADES-GS-z7-LA, with a photometric excess in the F410M NIRCam image consistent with [O III]+H$\beta$ emission at the same redshift. The spectral energy distribution of JADES-GS-z7-LA indicates a `bursty' star-formation history, with a low stellar mass of $10^{7.15}$ M$_\odot$. The only explanation of the high EW Ly$\alpha$ emission seen in JADES-GS-z7-LA is if it resides in an ionized bubble with radius $\gtrsim 3$ pMpc. Owing to the faint nature of JADES-GS-z7-LA, we show that it is incapable of single-handedly ionizing a bubble large enough. Therefore, we suggest that JADES-GS-z7-LA (and possibly the companion source) may be a part of a larger overdensity, presenting direct evidence of overlapping ionized bubbles at $z>7$, allowing us to study the process of reionization across both small and large scales.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: Cosmic dust is an essential component shaping both the evolution of galaxies and their observational signatures. How quickly dust builds up in the early Universe remains an open question that requires deep observations at (sub-)millimeter wavelengths to resolve. Here we use Atacama Large Millimeter Array observations of 45 galaxies from the Reionization Era Bright Emission Line Survey (REBELS) and its pilot programs, designed to target [CII] and dust emission in UV-selected galaxies at $z\sim7$, to investigate the dust content of high-redshift galaxies through a stacking analysis. We find that the typical fraction of obscured star formation $f_\mathrm{obs} = \mathrm{SFR}_\mathrm{IR} / \mathrm{SFR}_\mathrm{UV + IR}$ depends on stellar mass, similar to what is observed at lower redshift, and ranges from $f_\mathrm{obs} \approx 0.3 - 0.6$ for galaxies with $\log_{10}\left(M_\star / M_\odot\right) = 9.4 - 10.4$. We further adopt the $z\sim7$ stellar mass function from the literature to extract the obscured cosmic star formation rate density (SFRD) from the REBELS survey. Our results suggest only a modest decrease in the SFRD between $3\lesssim z \lesssim 7$, with dust-obscured star formation still contributing $\sim30\%$ at $z\sim7$. While we extensively discuss potential caveats, our analysis highlights the continued importance of dust-obscured star formation even well into the epoch of reionization.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: Recent JWST/NIRcam imaging taken for the ultra-deep UNCOVER program reveal a very red, triply imaged, compact dropout object at $z_{\mathrm{phot}}\simeq7.66$ which is prominently lensed by the galaxy cluster Abell 2744 ($z_{\mathrm{d}}=0.308$). All three images are very compact, i.e. unresolved, with an inferred de-lensed size upper limit of $r_{e}\lesssim35$ pc. The observed F444W magnitude of the three images is $m\sim25-26$ AB and the source's absolute UV magnitude is $M_{\mathrm{UV},1450}=-16.81\pm0.09$, after correcting for magnification. From the sum of observed fluxes and from a spectral energy distribution (SED) fit we obtain lower limits on the bolometric luminosities of $L_{\mathrm{bol}}\gtrsim10^{43} \frac{\mathrm{erg}}{\mathrm{s}}$ and $L_{\mathrm{bol}}\gtrsim10^{44} \frac{\mathrm{erg}}{\mathrm{s}}$ for the source, respectively. Based on its compact, point-like appearance, its positions in color-color and $M_{\mathrm{UV}}$-size diagrams and the SED analysis, we tentatively conclude that this object could be a faint quasar-like object, i.e., an extreme emission line object whose nebular emission is boosted by an active galactic nucleus (AGN). We discuss various alternative origins for the object's emission features, including a massive star cluster, a cluster of Population III, supermassive, or dark stars, or a direct-collapse black hole. Although populations of red galaxies at similar photometric redshifts have been detected with JWST, this object is unique in that its high-redshift nature is corroborated geometrically by lensing, that it is unresolved despite being magnified -- and thus intrinsically even more compact -- and that it occupies notably distinct regions in both size-luminosity and color-color space. The planned UNCOVER JWST/NIRSpec observations (scheduled in Cycle 1) will enable a more detailed analysis of this object.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: We describe new JWST/NIRSpec observations of galaxies at $z\gtrsim7$ taken as part of the CEERS survey of the EGS field. Previous observations of this area have revealed associations of Ly$\alpha$ emitters at redshifts ($z=7.5$, $7.7$, $8.7$) where the IGM is thought mostly neutral, leading to suggestions that these systems are situated in large ionized bubbles. We identify 21 $z\gtrsim7$ galaxies with robust redshifts in the CEERS dataset, including 10 in the Ly$\alpha$ associations. Their spectra are indicative of very highly ionized and metal poor gas, with line ratios (O32 $=17.84$ and Ne3O2 $=0.89$) and metallicity ($12+\log{[\rm{O/H}]}=7.84$) that are rarely seen at lower redshifts. We find that the most extreme spectral properties are found in the six $z\gtrsim7$ Ly$\alpha$ emitting galaxies in the sample. Each have hard ionizing spectra indicating that their visibility is likely enhanced by efficient ionizing photon production. Ly$\alpha$ velocity offsets are found to be very large ($\gtrsim300$ km s$^{-1}$), likely also contributing to their detectability. We find that Ly$\alpha$ in $z\gtrsim7$ galaxies is $6-12\times$ weaker than in lower redshift samples with matched rest-frame optical spectral properties. If the bubbles around the Ly$\alpha$ emitters are relatively small ($\lesssim0.5-1$ pMpc), we may expect such significant attenuation of Ly$\alpha$ in these ionized regions. We discuss several other effects that may contribute to weaker Ly$\alpha$ emission at $z\gtrsim7$. Deep spectroscopy of fainter galaxies in the vicinity of the Ly$\alpha$ emitters will better characterize the physical scale of the ionized bubbles in this field.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: We report the discovery of an extreme galaxy overdensity at $z = 5.4$ in the GOODS-S field using JWST/NIRCam imaging from JADES and JEMS alongside JWST/NIRCam wide field slitless spectroscopy from FRESCO. We identified potential members of the overdensity using HST+JWST photometry spanning $\lambda = 0.4-5.0\ \mu\mathrm{m}$. These data provide accurate and well-constrained photometric redshifts down to $m \approx 29-30\,\mathrm{mag}$. We subsequently confirmed $N = 96$ potential members of the overdensity using JWST slitless spectroscopy over $\lambda = 3.9-5.0\ \mu\mathrm{m}$ through a targeted line search for $\mathrm{H} \alpha$ around the best-fit photometric redshift. We verified that $N = 53$ galaxies reside in the field at $z = 5.2-5.5$ while $N = 43$ galaxies reside in an overdensity at $z = 5.4$ around $\sim 10-12$ times that of a random volume. Stellar populations for these galaxies were inferred from the photometry and used to construct the star-forming main sequence, where protocluster members appeared more massive and exhibited earlier star formation (and thus older stellar populations) when compared to their field galaxy counterparts. We estimate the total halo mass of this large-scale structure to be $13.0 \lesssim \mathrm{log}_{10} \left( M_{\mathrm{halo}}/M_{\odot} \right) \lesssim 13.5$ using an empirical stellar mass to halo mass relation, although this is likely an underestimate as a result of incompleteness. Our discovery demonstrates the power of JWST at constraining dark matter halo assembly and galaxy formation at very early cosmic times.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: Reionisation-era galaxies often display intense nebular emission lines, both in rest-frame optical ([OIII]+H$\beta$) and ultraviolet (UV; CIII], CIV). How such strong nebular emission is powered remains unclear, with both active galactic nuclei (AGN) and hot stars considered equally viable. The UV continuum slopes of these early systems tend to be very blue ($\beta-1$) than typical star-forming systems in the reionisation era. To investigate the properties of AGN in the reionisation era, we have conducted a search for potential examples of rare analogues with blue continua at intermediate redshift ($z\sim2-3$). Our goals are to determine whether AGN with intense line emission and blue continua exist and thereby to establish the range of rest-frame UV and optical line ratios in this population. In this paper we report the detection of a X-ray luminous AGN at $z=3.21$ (UDS-24561) with extreme [OIII]+H$\beta$ line emission (EW $=1300$ \r{A}) and a blue UV continuum slope ($\beta=-2.34$). MMT/Binospec and Keck/MOSFIRE spectra indicate rest-frame UV line ratios consistent with AGN photoionisation models and rest-frame optical lines with both a narrow component (FWHM $=154$ km$/$s) and extended broad wings (FWHM $=977$ km$/$s), consistent with outflowing gas. We describe how such objects can be identified in future JWST emission line surveys in the reionisation era, thereby providing a valuable census of AGN activity at $z>6$ and understanding their contribution to cosmic reionisation.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: We present JWST NIRCam 9-band near-infrared imaging of the luminous $z=10.6$ galaxy GN-z11 from the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) of the GOODS-N field. We find a spectral energy distribution (SED) entirely consistent with the expected form of a high-redshift galaxy: a clear blue continuum from 1.5 to 4 microns with a complete dropout in F115W. The core of GN-z11 is extremely compact in JWST imaging. We analyze the image with a two-component model, using a point source and a S\'{e}rsic profile that fits to a half-light radius of 200 pc and an index $n=0.9$. We find a low-surface brightness haze about $0.4''$ to the northeast of the galaxy, which is most likely a foreground object but might be a more extended component of GN-z11. At a spectroscopic redshift of 10.60 (Bunker et al. 2023), the comparison of the NIRCam F410M and F444W images spans the Balmer jump. From population synthesis modeling, here assuming no light from an active galactic nucleus, we reproduce the SED of GN-z11, finding a stellar mass of $\sim$$10^{9}~M_{\odot}$, a star-formation rate of $\sim$$20~M_{\odot}~\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ and a young stellar age of $\sim$$20~\mathrm{Myr}$. As massive galaxies at high redshift are likely to be highly clustered, we search for faint neighbors of GN-z11, finding 9 galaxies out to $\sim$5 comoving Mpc transverse with photometric redshifts consistent with $z=10.6$, and a 10$^{\rm th}$ more tentative dropout only $3''$ away.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: We present JADES JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy of GN-z11, the most luminous candidate $z>10$ Lyman break galaxy in the GOODS-North field with $M_{UV}=-21.5$. We derive a redshift of $z=10.603$ (lower than previous determinations) based on multiple emission lines in our low and medium resolution spectra over $0.8-5.3\,\mu$m. We significantly detect the continuum and measure a blue rest-UV spectral slope of $\beta=-2.4$. Remarkably, we see spatially-extended Lyman-$\alpha$ in emission (despite the highly-neutral IGM expected at this early epoch), offset 555 km/s redward of the systemic redshift. From our measurements of collisionally-excited lines of both low- and high-ionization (including [O II] $\lambda3727$, [Ne III] $\lambda 3869$ and C III] $\lambda1909$) we infer a high ionization parameter ($\log U\sim -2$). We detect the rarely-seen N IV] $\lambda1486$ and N III]$\lambda1748$ lines in both our low and medium resolution spectra, with other high ionization lines seen in low resolution spectrum such as He II (blended with O III]) and C IV (with a possible P-Cygni profile). Based on the observed rest-UV line ratios, we cannot conclusively rule out photoionization from AGN. The high C III]/He II ratios, however, suggest a likely star-formation explanation. If the observed emission lines are powered by star formation, then the strong N III] $\lambda1748$ observed may imply an unusually high $N/O$ abundance. Balmer emission lines (H$\gamma$, H$\delta$) are also detected, and if powered by star formation rather than an AGN we infer a star formation rate of $\sim 20-30 M_{\odot}\,\rm yr^{-1}$ (depending on the IMF) and low dust attenuation. Our NIRSpec spectroscopy confirms that GN-z11 is a remarkable galaxy with extreme properties seen 430 Myr after the Big Bang.
分类: 天文学 >> 天文学 提交时间: 2023-02-19
摘要: Finding and characterising the first galaxies that illuminated the early
Universe at cosmic dawn is pivotal to understand the physical conditions and
the processes that led to the formation of the first stars. In the first few
months of operations, imaging from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have
been used to identify tens of candidates of galaxies at redshift (z) greater
than 10, less than 450 million years after the Big Bang. However, none of these
candidates has yet been confirmed spectroscopically, leaving open the
possibility that they are actually low-redshift interlopers. Here we present
spectroscopic confirmation and analysis of four galaxies unambiguously detected
at redshift 10.3