Recognition: unknown
Spectroscopic confirmation of a large and luminous galaxy with weak emission lines at z = 13.53
read the original abstract
We present JWST/NIRSpec PRISM observations of a robust galaxy candidate at $z\simeq14$, selected from pure-parallel NIRCam imaging; PAN-z14-1. The NIRSpec spectrum allows confirmation of this source at $z_{\rm spec}=13.53^{+0.05}_{-0.06}$ through modeling of the Lyman-$\alpha$ break. PAN-z14-1 is the fourth most distant galaxy known to date and is extremely luminous ($M_{\rm UV}=-20.6\pm0.2$), with a blue UV-continuum slope ($\beta=-2.26\pm0.08$) and a large physical size ($r_{\rm c}=233\pm10\, \rm pc$). We fail to detect any rest-frame UV emission lines at $\geq 2\sigma$ significance, with upper limits sufficiently constraining to exclude the possibility of strong line emission. In terms of its physical properties, PAN-z14-1 is remarkably similar to the previously confirmed $z_{\rm spec}=14.18$ galaxy GS-z14-0. The lack of strong emission lines and large physical size is consistent with an emerging picture of two potentially distinct galaxy populations at $z>10$, distinguished by star-formation rate surface density. In this scenario, PAN-z14-1 is a second example of a ``normal'', extended, luminous, star-forming galaxy at $z \simeq 14$, and differs markedly from the other class of extremely compact galaxies with strong emission lines recently uncovered at extreme redshifts with JWST. These results highlight the importance of further spectroscopic confirmation of $z>10$ galaxy candidates in order to fully understand the diversity of properties displayed by the first galaxies.
This paper has not been read by Pith yet.
Forward citations
Cited by 1 Pith paper
-
Intense and extended CIII] emission suggests a strong outflow in JADES-GS-z14-0
Extended CIII] emission offset from the stars in a z=14.18 galaxy indicates outflows with mass outflow rate ~160 solar masses per year and mass-loading factor 4-15, constraining star-formation efficiency to below 0.08.
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.