JADES data release 4 – Paper i. Sample selection, observing strategy and redshifts of the complete spectroscopic sample
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Oxford University Press 549:4 (2026) stag836
Abstract:
This paper accompanies Data Release 4 of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey, which presents the full NIRSpec spectroscopy of the survey. We provide spectra of 5190 targets across Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS)-North and GOODS-South (including the Hubble Ultra Deep Field), observed with the low-dispersion (–300) prism and three medium-resolution () gratings spanning m; 2654 were also observed with the higher resolution () G395H grating. The tiered survey design obtained h exposures for galaxies in the Deep and Ultra Deep tiers, and shallower observations (–3 h per setting) of galaxies in the Medium tiers. Targets were selected from photometric redshifts or colours, with priority given to rest-UV-selected galaxies at and F444W-selected galaxies at . We describe the full target selection and present spectroscopic redshifts and success rates. In total, we obtain robust redshifts for 3297 galaxies, including 396 at and 2545 at . To facilitate uniform analyses, we define ‘gold’ subsamples based on UV- and F444W-selection. Using the parent samples and redshift success rates, we construct rest-UV luminosity functions at from the Medium- and Deep-JWST tiers. Our number densities agree well with previous determinations from both photometric and spectroscopic samples, with modest interloper fractions confirming the reliability of photometric UV-bright galaxy selections at these redshifts.Overview of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES)
The Astrophysical Journal: Supplement Series American Astronomical Society 283:1 (2026) 6
Abstract:
We present an overview of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES), an ambitious program of infrared imaging and spectroscopy in the GOODS-S and GOODS-N deep fields, designed to study galaxy evolution from high redshift to cosmic noon. JADES uses about 770 hr of Cycle 1 guaranteed time largely from the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument teams. In GOODS-S, in and around the Hubble Ultra Deep Field and Chandra Deep Field South, JADES produces a deep imaging region of ∼42 arcmin2 with over 100 hr of exposure time spread over nine NIRCam filters, including two medium-band filters. This is extended at medium depth in GOODS-S and GOODS-N with NIRCam imaging of ∼167 arcmin2, averaging 25 hr of exposure over 8–10 filters. In both fields, we conduct extensive NIRSpec multiobject spectroscopy, including two deep pointings of 55 hr exposure time, 14 medium pointings of ∼12 hr, and 15 shallower pointings of ∼4 hr, targeting over 5000 Hubble Space Telescope– and JWST-detected faint sources with five low-, medium-, and high-resolution dispersers covering 0.6–5.3 μm. Finally, JADES extends redward via coordinated parallels with the JWST Mid-Infrared Instrument, featuring ∼10 arcmin2 with 43 hr of exposure at 7.7 μm and thrice that area with 1.4–6.8 hr of exposure at 12.8 and 15 μm. For nearly 30 yr, the GOODS-S and GOODS-N fields have been developed as the premier deep fields on the sky; JADES is now providing a compelling start on JWST's legacy in these fields.JADES: the chemical enrichment pattern of distant galaxies – α enhancement, silicon depletion, and iron enhancement
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Oxford University Press 547:3 (2026) stag123
Abstract:
We present gas-phase abundances of carbon (C), -elements (O, Ne, Si, and Ar), and iron (Fe) obtained from stacked spectra of high-z star-forming galaxies with the deep Near Infrared Spectrograph medium-resolution data from the James Webb Space Telescope Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey. Our 564 sources at –7 have a median stellar mass of and a median star-formation rate of , placing them close to the star-formation main sequence. We find that the stacked spectrum of all our 564 sources has relatively low , moderate , and low values at a low gas-phase metallicity of (), suggesting dominant yields of core-collapse supernovae evolved from massive stars. The detection of a weak [Si iii] emission line in our stacked spectrum provides a silicon-to-oxygen abundance ratio of , which is lower than that of stars in the Milky Way disc and lower than expected by chemical evolution models, suggesting silicon depletion on to dust grains. Likewise, this Si/O value is lower than that we newly derive for two individual galaxies (GN-z11 and RXCJ2248) with negligible dust attenuation. By performing spectral stacking in bins of , star-formation rate (SFR), specific SFR (sSFR), and ultraviolet continuum slope , we identify [Fe iii] line detections in the high-sSFR bin and the blue- bin, both of which exhibit supersolar Fe/O ratios, while their C/O, Ar/O, and Si/O ratios are comparable to those of the all-sources stack. Our findings support a chemically young gas composition with rapid dust depletion in the general population of high-z star-forming galaxies, while raising the possibility of anomalous, selective Fe/O enhancement at the very early epoch of star formation.On the origins of oxygen: ALMA and JWST characterise the multi-phase, metal-enriched, star-bursting medium within a ‘normal’ z > 11 galaxy
The Open Journal of Astrophysics Maynooth University 9 (2026)
Abstract:
The unexpectedly high abundance of galaxies at revealed by JWST has sparked a debate on the nature of early galaxies and the physical mechanisms regulating their formation. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has begun to provide vital insights on their gas and dust content, but so far only for extreme ‘blue monsters’. Here we present new, deep ALMA observations of JADES-GS-z11-0, a more typical (sub- ) galaxy that bridges the discovery space of JWST and the Hubble Space Telescope. These data confirm the presence of the [O III] 88 m line at significance, precisely at the redshift of several faint emission lines previously seen with JWST/NIRSpec, while the underlying dust continuum remains undetected ( ), implying an obscured star formation rate (SFR) of and dust mass of (all ). The accurate ALMA redshift of ( refined over NIRSpec) helps confirm that redshifts measured purely from the Lyman- break, even spectroscopically, should properly take into account the effects of potential damped Lyman- absorption (DLA) systems to avoid systematic overestimates of up to . The [O III] 88 m luminosity of , meanwhile, agrees well with the scaling relation for local metal-poor dwarfs given the SFR measured by NIRCam, NIRSpec, and MIRI. The spatially resolved MIRI and ALMA emission also underscores that JADES-GS-z11-0 is likely to consist of two low-mass components that are undergoing strong bursts of star formation yet are already pre-enriched in oxygen ( solar), only 400 Myr after the Big Bang.The JADES Origins Field: A New JWST Deep Field in the JADES Second NIRCam Data Release
The Astrophysical Journal: Supplement Series American Astronomical Society 281:2 (2025) 50