Galaxy formation and evolution

Abstract:

We present the robust selection of high-redshift quiescent galaxies (QG) and poststarburst (PSB) galaxies using ultra-deep NIRCam and MIRI imaging from the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES). At 3 < z < 6, MIRI 7.7 μm imaging provides rest-frame J band, which is commonly used to break the degeneracy between old stellar populations and dust attenuation at lower redshifts. We identify 23 passively evolving galaxies in UVJ color space in a mass-limited (log M ⋆/M ⊙ ≥ 8.5) sample over 8.8 arcmin2. An evaluation of the contribution of the 7.7 μm shows that JADES-like NIRCam coverage (9+ photometric bands) can compensate for lacking the J band at these redshifts; however, more limited three-band selections perform better with MIRI. Our sample is characterized by rapid quenching timescales (∼100–600 Myr) with formation redshifts z f ≲ 9 and includes a potential record-holding massive QG at zphot=5.33−0.17+0.16 and two QGs with evidence for significant residual dust content (A V ∼ 1–2). In addition, we present a large sample of 12 log M ⋆/M ⊙ = 8.5–9.5 PSBs, demonstrating that UVJ selection can be extended to low mass. An analysis of the environment of our sample reveals that the group known as the Cosmic Rose contains a massive QG and a dust-obscured star-forming galaxy (a so-called Jekyll and Hyde pair) plus three additional QGs within ∼20 kpc. Moreover, the Cosmic Rose is part of a larger overdensity at z ∼ 3.7, which contains 7/12 of our low-mass PSBs. Another four low-mass PSBs are members of an overdensity at z ∼ 3.4; this result strongly indicates low-mass PSBs are preferentially associated with overdense environments at z > 3.

Abstract:

Large area observations of extragalactic deep fields with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have provided a wealth of candidate low-mass L- and T-class brown dwarfs. The existence of these sources, which are at derived distances of hundreds of parsecs to several kiloparsecs from the Sun, has strong implications for the low-mass end of the stellar initial mass function, and the link between stars and planets at low metallicities. In this letter, we present a JWST/NIRSpec PRISM spectrum of brown dwarf JADES-GS-BD-9, confirming its photometric selection from observations taken as part of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) program. Fits to this spectrum indicate that the brown dwarf has an effective temperature of 800–900 K (T5–T6) at a distance of 1.8–2.3 kpc from the Sun, with evidence of the source being at low metallicity ([M/H] ≤ −0.5). Finally, because of the cadence of JADES NIRCam observations of this source, we additionally uncover a proper motion between the 2022 and 2023 centroids, and we measure a proper motion of 20 ± 4 mas yr−1 (a transverse velocity of 214 km s−1 at 2.25 kpc). At this predicted metallicity, distance, and transverse velocity, it is likely that this source belongs either to the edge of the Milky Way thick disk or the galactic halo. This spectral confirmation demonstrates the efficacy of photometric selection of these important sources across deep extragalactic JWST imaging.

Abstract:

<jats:p>New constraints on the expansion rate of the Universe seem to favor evolving dark energy in the form of thawing quintessence models, i.e., models for which a canonical, minimally coupled scalar field has, at late times, begun to evolve away from potential energy domination. We scrutinize the evidence for thawing quintessence by exploring what it predicts for the equation of state. We show that, in terms of the usual Chevalier-Polarski-Linder parameters, (<a:math xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><a:mrow><a:msub><a:mrow><a:mi>w</a:mi></a:mrow><a:mrow><a:mn>0</a:mn></a:mrow></a:msub></a:mrow></a:math>, <c:math xmlns:c="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><c:msub><c:mi>w</c:mi><c:mi>a</c:mi></c:msub></c:math>), thawing quintessence is, in fact, only marginally consistent with a compilation of the current data. Despite this, we embrace the possibility that thawing quintessence is dark energy and find constraints on the microphysics of this scenario. We do so in terms of the effective mass <e:math xmlns:e="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><e:msup><e:mi>m</e:mi><e:mn>2</e:mn></e:msup></e:math> and energy scale <g:math xmlns:g="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><g:msub><g:mi>V</g:mi><g:mn>0</g:mn></g:msub></g:math> of the scalar field potential. We are particularly careful to enforce uninformative, flat priors on these parameters so as to minimize their effect on the final posteriors. While the current data favors a large and negative value of <i:math xmlns:i="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><i:msup><i:mi>m</i:mi><i:mn>2</i:mn></i:msup></i:math>, when we compare these models to the standard <k:math xmlns:k="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><k:mi mathvariant="normal">Λ</k:mi><k:mi>CDM</k:mi></k:math> model we find that there is scant evidence for thawing quintessence.</jats:p> <jats:sec> <jats:title/> <jats:supplementary-material> <jats:permissions> <jats:copyright-statement>Published by the American Physical Society</jats:copyright-statement> <jats:copyright-year>2024</jats:copyright-year> </jats:permissions> </jats:supplementary-material> </jats:sec>

Abstract:

We analyze JWST Mid-Infrared Instrument/Medium Resolution Spectrograph integral field unit observations of three Seyferts from the Galactic Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey (GATOS) and showcase the intriguing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and emission-line characteristics in regions of ∼500 pc scales over or around their active galactic nuclei (AGN). Combing the measurements and model predictions, we find that the central regions containing a high fraction of neutral PAHs with small sizes, e.g., those in ESO137-G034, are in highly heated environments, due to collisional shock heating, with hard and moderately intense radiation fields. Such environments are proposed to result in inhibited growth or preferential erosion of PAHs, decreasing their average size and overall abundance. We additionally find that the central regions containing a high fraction of ionized PAHs with large sizes, e.g., those in MCG-05-23-016, are likely experiencing severe photoionization because of the radiative effects from the radiative shock precursor besides the AGN. The severe photoionization can contribute to the ionization and further destruction of PAHs. Overall, different Seyferts, even different regions in the same galaxy, e.g., those in NGC 3081, can contain PAH populations of different properties. Specifically, Seyferts that exhibit similar PAH characteristics to ESO137-G034 and MCG-05-23-016 also tend to have similar emission-line properties to them, suggesting that the explanations for PAH characteristics of ESO137-G034 and MCG-05-23-016 may also apply generally. These results have promising application in the era of JWST, especially in diagnosing different (i.e., radiative and kinetic) AGN feedback modes.