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Jorryt Matthee

Publications and source records attributed to Jorryt Matthee.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

A Little Red Dot emerging from a nitrogen-rich UV-luminous galaxy with Very Massive Stars

JWST is revealing abundant populations of high-$z$ galaxies with unforeseen properties: UV-luminous galaxies with high nitrogen enrichment, populations of very massive stars (VMSs; $>100\ M_\odot$), and early forms of massive black hole growth such as the Little Red Dots (LRDs). Here we present all these phenomena appearing simultaneously in COLA1, a luminous ($M_{\rm UV}=-21.3$) galaxy at $z=6.6$. New NIRSpec medium-resolution data reveal a blue UV continuum ($β_{\rm UV}=-2.5$) with strong emission lines including NIV] $\lambda1486$, stellar P Cygni profiles, and broad HeII $\lambda1640$. We fit the UV with stellar population models, and find that the models including VMSs (limited to $300\ M_\odot$) are statistically preferred. The best-fit stellar population has $M_*\approx10^8\ M_\odot$, and a young age of $2.4\pm0.8$ Myr. The rest-optical shows a redder continuum ($β_{\rm opt}=-1.1$) and broad Balmer lines with Balmer absorption akin to LRD spectra. By evolving the best-fit stellar population we find that the UV could dim by 1-2 mag in $\sim5$ Myr, and hence this system would be observed as a typical V-shaped LRD. We measure a supersolar $\rm log_{10}(N/O)=-0.07\pm0.05$ and subsolar $\rm log_{10}(C/O)=-0.64\pm0.11$; therefore $\rm log_{10}(N/C)=+0.58\pm0.12$. The independent density-sensitive NIV] $λ\lambda1483,1486$ and CIII] $λ\lambda1906/1909$ ratios require two zones with $n_e\gtrsim10^{6.5}$ cm$^{-3}$ and $n_e\lesssim10^{3.5}$ cm$^{-3}$, respectively. We estimate $\rm log_{10}(N/C)>1.3$ (2$σ$) for the dense zone, requiring extreme N/C enrichment mechanisms such as highly rotating $>100\ M_\odot$ VMSs, tidal disruption events, or supermassive stars. We speculate that runaway collisions of massive stars in a dense stellar cluster may have lead to the seeding of an intermediate-mass black hole resulting in the formation of an LRD.

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The JWST Emission Line Survey (JELS): Multi-wavelength properties of Paschen line-emitters at Cosmic Noon

Context: Narrowband JWST/NIRCam selection isolates star-forming galaxies in well-defined redshift slices, while ALMA and archival far-IR/submm data reveal obscured growth. We combine these to measure Paschen-line SFRs, infer nebular extinction from EAZY Av, and probe FIR-to-submm emission via weighted-median stacking, to constrain galaxy growth at cosmic noon. Aims: We characterize stellar, nebular, and FIR properties of Paschen-selected galaxies in COSMOS, in two ensembles at z~1.50 (Pa-alpha) and z~2.65 (Pa-beta), quantifying short- vs long-timescale SF and dust attenuation, and constraining obscured SFR and gas masses. Methods: We select robust narrowband-excess samples from the JELS F466N/F470N mosaic (Pa-alpha: 77, Pa-beta: 31 sources), remove AGN via X-ray/radio matching, and assemble multiwavelength photometry (JWST, HST, Spitzer, Herschel, SCUBA-2, AzTEC, ALMA). Photo-z/stellar properties come from EAZY/STARDUST; line SFRs use recent Paschen calibrations, with nebular extinction from EAZY Av. Results: EAZY fits show stellar masses log(Mstar/Msun)~7.4-10.3 and modest SFRs (0.1-27 Msun/yr). Line SFRs are 0.1-22.0 and 0.7-47.9 Msun/yr for Pa-alpha/beta. Most sources show short-term bursts (line SFRs exceed SED SFRs), weakly decreasing with mass. Nebular attenuation correlates with mass and SFR. Stacking gives no >3sigma detections beyond MIRI. The weighted-median SED gives SFR_UV,med = 0.48+-0.11 and 3.92+-0.47 Msun/yr for Pa-alpha/beta. ALMA Band 4 gives the tightest constraints: median 3-sigma limits SFR_IR<53 (Pa-alpha) and <44 Msun/yr (Pa-beta); gas mass <10^11.2 (Pa-alpha) and <10^10.6 Msun (Pa-beta). Conclusions: Paschen-selected samples show widespread short-timescale star formation, but FIR/sub-mm data give only upper limits on obscured SFR/ISM mass. Deeper spectroscopy and ALMA continuum data are needed to constrain obscured SF and gas reservoirs.

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Lyman-alpha haloes in the aftermath of reionisation

We present a comparative study of Ly$α$ haloes (LAHs) around low-luminosity (L$_{\mathrm{Ly}α}\lesssim 10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$) Ly$α$-emitting galaxies (LAEs) at very high redshifts $z\geq6$ and a reference sample at $z\sim 3$ covering a similar Ly$α$ luminosity and host galaxy stellar mass range. Using data from the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) at the ESO VLT, we extracted the samples such that at the different redshifts we obtain the same intrinsic surface brightness sensitivity, accounting for cosmological dimming. We detect extended Ly$α$ emission around 6 out of 18 high-$z$ LAEs in the MUSE eXtremely Deep Field (MXDF), more than doubling the number of known such objects at $z\geq6$. We obtain an only slightly higher individual LAH detection fraction of 40% among the lower redshift comparison sample. Yet the typical exponential scale lengths at $z\geq6$ are three times smaller than those at $z\sim3$. Stacking the LAEs with undetected haloes gives again drastically different results for the two samples, with a highly significant halo detection at $z\sim 3$ but no trace of extended Ly$α$ emission at $z\geq6$. We also find the Ly$α$ spectral line widths of the high-$z$ sample to be $\sim$2.5 smaller in comparison to the lower redshift objects. We discuss the potential mechanisms driving such strong changes. In a reionisation-driven scenario the higher neutral fraction in the intergalactic and circumgalactic media might lead to substantial scattering losses of escaping Ly$α$ radiation, leaving detectable only emission from the vicinity of the star-forming regions. In an alternative scenario the LAH properties might be linked more closely to the evolution of their host galaxies than previously thought.

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Multiphase Gas Structure in JWST Little Red Dots

JWST has uncovered a population of compact high-redshift galaxies, 'little red dots' (LRDs), exhibiting broad Balmer emission lines that often show narrow absorption features and strong Balmer breaks - spectral signatures attributed to dense gas surrounding rapidly growing black holes, but whose small-scale structure remains unknown. A striking feature of LRD spectra is that the H$β$ absorption is systematically deeper than H$α$, yet in any homogeneous gas this ordering is physically impossible. Here we model the H$α$ and H$β$ line profiles using radiative transfer simulations for 11 LRDs with JWST sensitive high resolution spectroscopy, and independently constrain the $n=2$ hydrogen column density, $N_{\rm HI,\mathit{n}=2}$, from the Balmer-break continuum. We find that the $N_{\rm HI,\mathit{n}=2}$ from H$α$ in a homogeneous medium cannot reproduce the observed H$β$ absorption in several objects, and that this $N_{\rm HI,\mathit{n}=2}$ typically falls two orders of magnitude below the lower bound set by the Balmer break. Both tensions are simultaneously resolved by a multiphase medium of dense clumps within diffuse hot ionized gas. This multiphase gas structure is a necessary ingredient for any viable LRD model, regardless of the nature of the central engine.

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A Composite Rest-Frame UV Spectrum of Galaxies at $5.7 < z < 6.9$: Ionization, Outflows, and Implications for Intergalactic Metal Enrichment

We present a stacked JWST/NIRSpec spectrum of 104 galaxies at $λ_{\rm rest}=1200\unicode{x2013}2000\;\mathrm{\mathring{A}}$ to study nebular emission and absorption from the interstellar medium (ISM) and stellar winds. The sample is drawn from known [O III] emitters with mean redshift $z=6.50$, absolute UV magnitude $M_\mathrm{UV}=-20.7$, and stellar mass $M_{\star}=10^{8.93}\;\mathrm{M_\odot}$. The stacked continuum closely resembles lower-redshift Lyman Break Galaxy composites, with a few notable differences. Ly$\;α$ has comparable strength and is redshifted relative to the [O III] systemic frame, consistent with production in gaseous outflows. High-ionization emission lines including O III], C III], and He II are slightly stronger than in lower-redshift stacks but exhibit narrow widths, disfavoring ionization from a broad-line AGN. Emission-line ratios slightly favor ionization by a hard stellar continuum, though a contribution from a narrow-line nuclear source cannot be strictly excluded. Numerous strong absorption lines at both high and low ionization are blueshifted by $\sim200\;\mathrm{km\,s^{-1}}$, again indicating outflows driven by stellar winds or entrained metal-enriched ISM. A simple model suggests that at $z\sim6.5$ most star-forming galaxies are too young for winds at these velocities to propagate beyond $\sim3\unicode{x2013}9$ proper kpc, implying that the observed [O III] emitter population alone cannot explain the frequency of heavy-element absorbers seen in quasar spectra. In this picture, early enrichment of the intergalactic medium likely arises from undetected low-mass galaxies ($M_\star\sim10^5\unicode{x2013}10^6\;\mathrm{M_\odot}$) clustered around the more massive systems detected in JWST/NIRCam WFSS surveys.

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SN Helios: A Multiply Imaged Type II Supernova Opening Time-Delay Cosmography beyond redshift of 3

We report the discovery and spectroscopic confirmation of SN Helios, a strongly lensed, multiply imaged Type II supernova (SN) at $z=3.34$ behind the galaxy cluster RXC J0018.5+1626. The transient was identified as a red F150W-dropout source (F277W = 26.1 mag) in JWST/NIRCam imaging taken on 2026 July 3 for the VENUS survey, with no counterpart in 2024 December imaging. Director's Discretionary Time observations on 2026 August 17 added second-epoch NIRCam imaging and a deep NIRSpec prism spectrum. The spectrum shows a strong, spectrally resolved H$α$ emission line (FWHM $\approx 7900$ km/s) with a P-Cygni absorption blueshifted by 8800 km/s, together with corresponding H$β$ and He I $λ$10830 features, establishing a hydrogen-rich photosphere at $z=3.34$. Template fits classify SN Helios as a Type II SN, and light-curve comparisons with well-studied local SNe II yield a phase of $27.5\pm2.8$ rest-frame days past B-band maximum. Independent cluster lens models magnify the observed image by $μ\approx 10$-20 and predict another image within $\simeq 2$-6 yr, offering a rare opportunity for a time-delay measurement of $H_{0}$ with a source at $z>3$. The host galaxy is undetected in deep rest-frame ultraviolet and optical imaging, in emission lines, and in ALMA 2 mm dust continuum, leaving a heavily obscured counterpart unlikely. Its de-lensed $M_{\rm UV}\gtrsim -13$ places it far below blank-field limits and adds support to an elevated core-collapse rate per unit star formation in ultra-faint galaxies. Without the multi-epoch data, SN Helios would masquerade as a convincing $z\approx 16$ Lyman-break galaxy, with galaxy-template fits strongly disfavoring any low-redshift solution even with multiple medium bands. Its spectrum thus provides an empirical SED template with which high-redshift searches can vet similar dropout candidates.

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Discovery of a Broad-Line Active Galactic Nucleus at $z = 9.98$

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has uncovered a previously unexplored population of faint active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the early Universe. We present MoM-BL-z10 at $z=9.9837\pm0.0009$, identified through a systematic search for broad-line AGNs at $z\geq6$ using public JWST/NIRSpec PRISM spectra from the DAWN JWST Archive. The PRISM spectrum exhibits a broad component in H$β$ at 5.35 microns. A narrow+broad Gaussian fit yields a broad H$β$ detection at S/N = 3.87, with FWHM = $3480^{+2040}_{-950}$ km s$^{-1}$ and $L_{{\rm H}β,{\rm broad}}=1.25^{+0.33}_{-0.31}\times10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$. The detection of [Ne III] $\lambda3870$ and the high [Ne III]/[O II] and [O III]/H$β$ ratios further support the AGN interpretation. Its rest-frame UV and optical continuum slopes, compact NIRCam morphology, and a tentative MIRI F770W detection suggest similarities to Little Red Dots (LRDs). The broad H$β$ detection enables the first virial SMBH mass estimate at $z\sim10$. We derive $M_{\rm BH}=3.6^{+5.8}_{-1.7}\times10^7 M_\odot$ and $λ_{\rm Edd}=0.11^{+0.10}_{-0.07}$ using the standard single-epoch virial calibration and quasar bolometric correction. We also consider an alternative scenario adopting the LRD-specific bolometric correction and assuming $λ_{\rm Edd}=1$, which yields $M_{\rm BH}=2.1^{+0.6}_{-0.5}\times10^6 M_\odot$. Under either scenario, the inferred SMBH mass at a cosmic age of only 470 Myr highlights the challenge of rapid BH growth in the early Universe, suggesting super-Eddington accretion from a stellar-mass seed or a more massive seed. As the highest-redshift broad-line AGN identified to date, MoM-BL-z10 provides a new observational benchmark for understanding the early growth of supermassive black holes.

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A dense, metal-rich absorber driven by a heavily dust-obscured galaxy: The direct evidence of CGM enrichment at $z\sim7$

We report the serendipitous discovery of a dense, metal-enriched circumgalactic medium (CGM) absorber at z=7.03, together with its host galaxy, identified along the sightline toward a red quasar. The absorber exhibits the largest rest-frame equivalent widths and column densities observed to date at z>5, tracing a metal-enriched gaseous halo. Using deep JWST/NIRSpec and NOEMA observations, we characterize the absorber's physical properties and identify its host, ND1, as a vigorously star-forming galaxy at an exceptionally close impact parameter of ~16kpc, so heavily dust-obscured that it is detected only in the longest-wavelength NIRCam bands. Detections of [OIII]$λ$5007, H$α$, and [CII]$λ158\,μ$m emission anchor the systemic redshift to z~7.0321, revealing a coherent ~50km/s blueshift of the absorbing gas relative to the host, suggesting outflow-driven metal transport into the halo. The outflow velocity, combined with the measured column density, implies an outflow rate of $\dot{M}_{\rm out}=64 M_\odot\,yr^{-1}$ and a mass loading factor $η=3$, indicating an energetic, chemically-enriched wind launched from a dust-obscured starburst. While the overall ionization state and [Mg/Fe] ratio align with empirical cosmic evolutionary trends, the absorber displays an enhanced carbon-to-oxygen ([C/O]) ratio. This abundance pattern suggests the nucleosynthetic yields of Population~III stellar explosions, and aligns with the host's star-formation history extending to $z \gtrsim 8$, potentially offering a rare fossil record of primordial metal enrichment. Our findings demonstrate that intense star-formation feedback can rapidly and efficiently pollute the CGM/IGM well into the Epoch of Reionization. The NIR-dark nature of the host further implies that rest-UV surveys may systematically miss the dusty sources that drive CGM- and IGM-scale metal enrichment in the early Universe.

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The DAWN JWST Archive: A spectroscopically-informed population study of the physical properties of galaxies at z>2

Charting the evolution of star-formation, stellar mass and dust build-up over cosmic time relies on the accurate characterisation of the stellar population properties of high redshift galaxies. We present a catalogue of spectroscopically derived physical properties for ~12,000 galaxies at z>2, with archival JWST/NIRSpec PRISM spectroscopy and JWST/NIRCam imaging from the DAWN JWST Archive. We present a custom version of the SED fitting code BAGPIPES, used to perform joint spectrophotometric modelling of PRISM spectra and broadband NIRCam photometry. In doing so, we publicly release a science-ready catalogue of the physical properties of galaxies beyond cosmic noon. We report key physical properties, such as stellar masses, star-formation rates (SFR) and timescales, and V-band dust attenuation (Av). We further probe the recent star-formation histories (SFH) of galaxies via their SFRs on 3 Myr, 10 Myr, and 100 Myr timescales, capturing both rising and falling recent SFHs. Through dust-corrected ugi colour-colour diagrams of massive galaxies, we show how quiescent and dusty galaxies populate this colour space at z>2, with galaxies experiencing a recent downturn in star-formation occupying distinct parameter space. We also study the dustiest galaxies in our sample, showing that they are preferentially more massive and strongly star-forming relative to the parent sample, residing on the high-mass end of the star-forming main-sequence. The slope of the attenuation curve has a strong dependence on Av, varying from steep to shallow as the dust attenuation increases and the specific star-formation rate decreases. Our findings show that the unparalleled number statistics of this catalogue of spectroscopically derived stellar population properties uniquely enables the study star-formation, quenching and dust properties of galaxies from cosmic noon to cosmic dawn.

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Calcium Triplet Absorption is Common around Little Red Dots

We present new evidence for an optically thick atmosphere surrounding Little Red Dots (LRDs) in the form of Ca absorption at rest-frame 8500A, the calcium triplet (CaT). Building on the detection of CaT absorption in one local LRD analog (the "Egg", Lin et. al. 2025), we investigate the region around rest-frame 8500A for an archival sample of 17 LRDs ($2 < z < 5$) with JWST/NIRSpec grating data. We detect CaT absorption in three individual sources, and find that on average there is an absorption equivalent width (EW) EW$_{\rm CaT} \approx -5$ A. Among the three detections, two are approaching the deepest absorption seen in integrated light from stars. Given that the continuum around CaT is probably dominated by the central engine, we argue that the absorbers are likely to be associated with the LRD. Such absorption has not historically been associated with any components of an AGN central engine, but a cool, optically thick photosphere as proposed for LRDs would naturally produce such absorption. The EW$_{\rm CaT}$ that we observe can be matched by hydrostatic atmosphere models at relatively low metallicity ([M/H]$<-1$) combined with an effective temperature $T_{\rm eff} > 4500$ K. Alternatively, the distribution can be matched at a low photospheric gas density $ρ_{\rm ph}<10^{-11}{\rm~g~cm^{-3}}$ that requires a non-hydrostatic gas structure on dynamical grounds. In the future, metal absorption lines should be a powerful complementary probe of the gas conditions, and possibly the enclosed mass, of LRDs.

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Balmer Absorption Series and Broad Metal Lines in Two Luminous Little Red Dots

Balmer absorption is common among little red dots (LRDs), but absorbers at or redward of systemic are rare, occurring in only $\sim10-15$\% of H$α$ absorbers. In this paper, we study two such exceptional cases with deep JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy: 15 hr of high-resolution (G395H) observations of RUBIES-EGS-49140 (z=6.68), resolving the absorption in all four transitions from H$α$ through H$δ$, and medium-resolution spectroscopy (10 hr of G235M, 2 hr of G395M) of UNCOVER-A2744-45924 (z=4.46; 1.7x magnification). Both sources are among the optically reddest and most luminous LRDs known, and both show deep, near-systemic Balmer absorption troughs. We find two systematic trends along the Balmer series: the absorption centroids become more redshifted toward higher-order transitions, while the absorbed equivalent widths decline only weakly with increasing order, far less than expected from the atomic optical-depth ratios for a single attenuating screen. Ca\,{\sc{ii}}\,K is detected in absorption in both sources, whose offset follows the H$α$ trough rather than the more redshifted higher-order Balmer lines. We further report the detection of a broad base in [Ne\,{\sc{iii}}]\,$λ$3870, along with broad [O\,{\sc{iii}}]\,$λ$4364, [O\,{\sc{iii}}]\,$\lambda5008$, and He\,{\sc{i}}\,$\lambda5877,\lambda7067$, while He\,{\sc{ii}}\,$λ$4687 remains undetected or weak. Standard AGN photoionization models cannot reproduce the observed line ratios, whereas AGNs with high gas densities provide a consistent explanation, as also indicated by the anomalously high He\,{\sc{i}}\,$\lambda7067/\lambda5877$ ratio. A possible explanation for the relative strengths of the Balmer absorption lines could be a dense, optically thick medium whose re-emission modifies their apparent absorption strengths, while the velocity progression may arise from stratification in the absorbing gas.

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First-star imprints in a metal-poor galaxy overdensity near the end of reionization

The first generation of stars, known as Population III (Pop III), formed from primordial gas consisting solely of hydrogen and helium and is believed to have emerged only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. Detecting the chemical enrichment of metal-poor circumgalactic gas offers a promising way to trace the enrichment signature of Pop III stars. Along the sightline to the quasar SDSS J0100+2802, a metal absorber at $z = 5.945$, showing over-abundant carbon and silicon compared to solar, has been reported to be consistent with the enrichment pattern of Pop III stars. With the James Webb Space Telescope, we report the discovery of an unusually metal-poor galaxy overdensity of 17 members (mean metallicity $\approx 3\%$ solar) near this metal absorber, which is $\sim 0.4$ dex more metal-poor than coeval galaxies in similarly overdense environments. This less chemically evolved system may have provided favorable conditions for preserving the absorption signatures of Pop III enrichment. We infer a minimum dark matter halo of $\log(M_{\mathrm{h,min}}/M_{\odot})=10.68^{+0.93}_{-1.72}$, supporting late-time Pop III formation at the outskirts of atomic hydrogen cooling halos. Our findings open a promising observational pathway to identify the chemical imprints of the first stars and constrain the conditions for their formation.

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Overmassive No More: The Case for Little Red Dots Hosting Black Hole Seeds as Massive as Single Supermassive Stars

Little Red Dots (LRDs) display singular properties unlike any known class of AGN or galaxies, motivating novel mass estimators for their central engines. Inspired by their similarities to stellar phenomena, here we interpret the LRD continuum as being produced by a pseudo-photosphere. We fit tailored stellar atmosphere models to host-subtracted LRD central engines ("black hole stars," BH*s) represented by stacks of $117$ objects. Typical BH* continuum spectra are well fit by models in a narrow range of temperatures ($T_{\rm eff}\approx4200-4800$ K), with bolometric luminosities $\approx10^{43-45}$ erg s$^{-1}$, implying pseudo-photospheric radii $\approx700-2000$ au. Based on these parameters, we explore four different approaches to deriving BH* masses: 1) using the surface gravity from atmosphere models; 2) appealing to the resemblance to super-Eddington phenomena; 3) approximating the escape velocity from the outflowing material; and 4) exploiting the lack of variability to bound the dynamical time. For the typical BH*, all of these methods yield remarkably consistent masses of $\approx10^{4-5}\,M_\odot$, implying a highly super-Eddington luminosity of $L_{\rm{bol}}/L_{\rm{Edd}}\sim5-50$. These mass estimates place BH*s within the scatter of the local scaling relation between black hole mass and host galaxy stellar mass, providing a self-consistent alternative to "overmassive" black holes that lie $2-3$ dex above it. Crucially, our derived masses are consistent with BH*s arising from single supermassive stars (SMSs), whose masses cannot exceed $\approx10^{5-6}\,M_\odot$ due to general relativistic instabilities. Furthermore, for our derived $L_{\rm bol}/L_{\rm Edd}$, the sharp cutoff of the LRD luminosity function matches the maximum theoretical mass of an SMS. With LRDs, we may therefore be directly observing the birth of heavy black hole seeds.

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Can Little Red Dots Contribute To The Early Universe Cosmic Dust Budget?

The origin of dust in the early Universe remains uncertain. We explore whether Little Red Dots (LRDs) could provide a high-redshift dust-production channel. Motivated by an analogy with Type IIn supernovae, we investigate whether LRDs may share the efficient dust-forming conditions. We consider dust formation in outer winds and later in a shielded cold dense shell after the central source fades. Such dust may avoid a global remnant-phase reverse shock, while longer LRD lifetimes may promote grain growth. We model the SEDs of two low-redshift LRD analogs as a thermal pseudo-photosphere plus optically thin dust components, obtaining dust reservoirs of order $10^{2}$-$10^{3}\,M_{\odot}$. Although photometry cannot exclude pre-existing dust, the narrow Balmer components of both analogs are close to the Case B ratio and their narrow-line environments are metal-poor, disfavoring a dominant diffuse host-ISM origin for the inferred reservoir. Formation within the LRD outflow is consistent with our optical-depth, sublimation, and energy-balance checks. In this scenario, the large dust masses do not produce a strong optical attenuation because a clumpy or asymmetric distribution can leave the dominant optical sightlines relatively unobscured. Our population calculation shows that the LRD contribution to early-Universe dust production can range from negligible to dominant. At higher efficiencies, LRDs can approach or exceed the lower CCSN contribution above $z\approx5$, whereas less favorable assumptions yield a minor contribution. We therefore propose that LRDs can act as early-Universe dust factories and, under some conditions, may dominate over CCSNe or provide seed grains for subsequent growth in the early ISM.

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The ionizing properties of JWST's compact broad-line emitters

The recent JWST discovery of a numerous population of broad-line emitters (BLEs) at $z>4$ has reopened the question of whether sources other than faint galaxies contributed significantly to cosmic reionization. To assess this contribution, we present a systematic census of compact, blue broad-line emitters at $4\leq z\leq7$ selected from the DJA, designed to isolate sources in which the UV continuum and the broad-line emission originate from the same compact physical region. Starting from a parent sample of 4145 galaxies with NIRSpec/PRISM spectroscopy and NIRCam imaging, we apply criteria on broad Ha emission (FWHM$>2000$km s-1, detected at S/N$\geq5$, complete at $L_{Ha,broad}\geq10^{42.7}$erg s-1), blue continuum slopes ($β_{UV}\leq-1.5$, $β_{opt}<0.5$), and morphological compactness in both the rest-frame UV and optical, returning a final sample of 20 sources. This constitutes $\sim20%$ of the PRISM-selected broad-line sample, which is dominated by Little Red Dots (LRDs). We find that the compact blue BLEs display hot ionizing continua, high-ionization UV lines (CIV, NIV], HeII), and elevated Lya emitter fractions ($X_{Lya}=50-67%$) relative to star-forming galaxies and LRDs. Beyond their similar lack of X-ray emission, their optical spectra closely resemble those of LRDs. This suggests that compact blue BLEs extend this population towards lower column density envelopes, but with similar engines, rather than representing a physically distinct population. Using Sirocco to model physical configurations that reproduce the observed spectra, we find a high ionizing photon production efficiency (log$ξ_{ion}\sim25.4$Hz erg-1) and a weighted average escape fraction $fesc\sim0.2$ for the bluest sources, and $\sim0.01$ for LRDs. This implies that broad-line sources do not dominate reionization globally, but given their luminosity, their contribution can dominate up to few Mpc scales.

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The Evolution of Low-Ionization Electron Densities in Galaxies Across Cosmic Epochs

We investigate the low-ionization electron density in the interstellar medium of galaxies across $0$$<$$z$$<$$8$, derived with the [O II]$λ\lambda3727,3730$ and [S II]$λ\lambda6718,6733$ doublets, using both deep JWST NIRCam/grism and NIRSpec/MSA spectroscopy. Along with ancillary density samples from the literature at $0$$<$$z$$<$$6$, we assemble three samples containing a total of 703 galaxies spanning $3.7$$<$$z$$<$$7.8$ at $\langle z\rangle\sim5.6$; 691 galaxies in the luminosity-complete NIRCam/grism programs CONGRESS and FRESCO at $\langle z\rangle \sim4.3$ and $\langle z\rangle\sim5.3$, respectively, and 12 galaxies with high-resolution NIRSpec/MSA spectra from the GO 1871 and GLASS programs. We find median electron densities of $n_{\rm{e}}$[S II]$=$$463^{+281}_{-203}~{\rm{cm}}^{-3}$ for CONGRESS, $n_{\rm{e}}$[S II]$=$$301^{+388}_{-206}~{\rm{cm}}^{-3}$ for FRESCO, and $n_{\rm{e}}$[O II]$=$$202^{+145}_{-102}~{\rm{cm}}^{-3}$ for the NIRSpec/MSA sample. The median low-ionization $n_{\rm{e}}$ increases from $z= 0$ to $z=4$, in agreement with previous studies and those using JWST observations. However, beyond $z\sim4$ median $n_{\rm{e}}$ begins to deviate from a monotonically increasing evolution with $z$. We find a positive, but shallow, correlation between O$_{32}$ (a proxy for the ionization parameter) and $n_{\rm{e}}$, while also confirming a positive correlation between O$_{32}$ and $z$. We suggest that these trends are possibly due to an evolving ISM gas density and ionization structure, and propose a toy model where the gas clumping evolves with $z$ to explain the observed density and ionization variations.

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Little Red Dots host Black Hole Stars: A unified family of gas-reddened AGN revealed by JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy

We use the DAWN JWST Archive to construct and characterise a sample of 146 little red dots (LRDs) across 2.0<z<9.3, selecting all sources with v-shaped UV-optical continua from NIRSpec/PRISM spectra and compact morphologies in NIRCam/F444W imaging. We show that LRD continuum spectra are ubiquitously well described by modified blackbodies across ~$0.4-1.0μ$m, with typical T~5000K or $λ_{peak}$~$0.65μ$m across 2 dex in luminosity, and a tail toward T~2000K. LRDs therefore trace a locus in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram that is directly analogous to stars on the Hayashi track, strongly supporting the picture that LRDs are AGN embedded in optically-thick dense gas envelopes. Hotter LRDs with $λ_{peak}<0.65μ$m typically have strong Balmer breaks, redder UV slopes and high optical luminosities; other LRDs show weak or no Balmer breaks, and wide variety in $β_{UV}$ and $L_{5100}$. Crucially, we demonstrate that the UV-optical continuum shapes and luminosities are strongly linked to the $Hα,\ Hβ$, [OIII] and OI line properties. There is a tight linear relation between the H$α$ and optical continuum luminosities, as well as H$α$ and OI$_{8446}$, indicating that Balmer, OI and optical emission must primarily be powered by the same source. The Balmer decrement increases strongly toward higher $L_{Hα}$, $L_{5100}$ and Balmer break strength, providing key evidence for luminosity-dependent effects of collisional (de-)excitation and resonant scattering in the gaseous envelopes. In contrast, we show that [OIII] emission likely originates from star-forming host galaxies, and that its strong correlation with Balmer break strength arises naturally from variation in the AGN-to-host ratio among the LRD population. Our work presents an empirical description of the nature and structure of LRDs, defining a new benchmark for ongoing LRD model developments.

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VENUS: A Strongly Lensed Clumpy Galaxy at $z\sim11-12$ behind the Galaxy Cluster MACS J0257.1-2325

We present the discovery of a strongly lensed galaxy at $z\sim11-12$, dubbed the ``Misty Moons'', identified in the JWST Treasury Survey, Vast Exploration for Nascent, Unexplored Sources (VENUS). The Misty Moons is gravitationally lensed by the galaxy cluster MACS J0257.1-2325 at $z=0.505$, and has five multiple images suggested by two independent lensing models. Two of the five images, ID1 and ID2 ($μ\sim 20-30$), are very bright (F200W$\sim26$ AB mag) and exhibit blue SEDs with prominent Ly$α$ breaks. In the source plane, the Misty Moons is a sub-$L^*$ galaxy ($M_{\rm UV}\sim-18.0$ mag) resolved into multiple stellar clumps, each of which has an effective radius of $r_\mathrm{eff}\sim 10-70$ pc and a stellar mass of $\sim10^7\ M_\odot$. These clumps dominate the stellar mass budget of the Misty Moons ($\gtrsim80\%$), similar to other high-$z$ clumps, which suggests a highly clustered mode of star formation in the early Universe, unlike seen in local dwarf galaxies. We convolve the source-plane image with the JWST/NIRCam point-spread function to produce a mock NIRCam image of the Misty Moons without lensing magnification, and find that the intrinsic galaxy has a radial surface-brightness profile comparable to those of $z\gtrsim10$ faint galaxies, such as JADES-GS-z13-0 and JADES-GS-z14-1, indicating that the Misty Moons represents a typical $z\gtrsim10$ faint galaxy. The Misty Moons, a lensed galaxy with resolved internal structures, provides an ideal laboratory for exploring the early stages of galaxy formation at $z\gtrsim10$.

astro-ph.GA↗