arXiv · 2512.03239
(Re)solving the Complex Multiscale Morphology and V-shaped Spectral Energy Distribution of a Newly Discovered Strongly Lensed Little Red Dot in A383
Abstract
We present a luminous "little red dot" (LRD) at $z$ = 6.027, doubly imaged by the galaxy cluster A383 and observed with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) NIRCam. Owing to its large magnifications, $\mu$ $\sim$ 11 for image A383-LRD1A and $\mu$ $\sim$ 7 for A383-LRD1B, the system is exceptionally bright and highly stretched, providing a rare, spatially resolved view of an LRD. The images reveal a complex morphology with a compact red dot, a spatially offset blue dot, and faint emission bridging and surrounding the two. After correcting for lensing, the blue and red dots have rest-frame UV and optical sizes of $\sim 60$ pc and $\lesssim 150$ pc, respectively, while extended emission traced most clearly in F356W ([O III]+H$\beta$) reaches scales of order $\sim 1$ kpc. Spatially resolved spectral energy distribution (SED) analysis reveals that the characteristic V-shaped SED arises from the superposition of a flat UV continuum from the blue dot, consistent with a young stellar population, and a steep red SED from the red dot, which, based on Hubble Space Telescope+JWST photometry alone, admits a straightforward stellar interpretation as a massive, heavily dust-attenuated component. However, this interpretation is challenged by Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array dust continuum upper limits, suggesting a nonstellar origin such as dense gas configurations. Separated by only $\sim$ 300 pc in the source plane, these components would blend into a single compact source in unlensed observations with the canonical LRD colors. This system therefore provides a rare opportunity to resolve the internal structure of an LRD and to begin unraveling the physical nature of this population.
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Josephine F. W. Baggen, Pieter van Dokkum, Ivo Labbé, Gabriel Brammer. 2025-12-02. (Re)solving the Complex Multiscale Morphology and V-shaped Spectral Energy Distribution of a Newly Discovered Strongly Lensed Little Red Dot in A383. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213%2Fae82fe
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