arXiv subjects

Manuel Aravena

Publications and source records attributed to Manuel Aravena.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A large overdensity of LRD-like galaxies discovered by JWST in the SPT2349-56 protocluster at z=4.30

We present 11 newly identified ultra-red galaxies selected with JWST/NIRCam in the core of the z=4.3 protocluster SPT2349-56. Although these sources are yet spectroscopically confirmed, their extremely red colours (m200-m444 > 2.0 mag), strong spatial concentration, and number density - at least 2000x that of comparable field populations - make a chance projected association unlikely. Their colours overlap those used to select the "little red dot" (LRD) population, although most of the sources are spatially resolved and are therefore better described as extended red dots (ERDs). The resolved morphologies disfavour continuum emission dominated by an unresolved active nucleus and imply a substantial stellar contribution. Deep ALMA observations yield stringent limits on obscured star formation, and the ERD population mostly lies significantly below the star-forming main sequence. One object, ERD1/Q1, is exceptional, being substantially brighter and more massive than the other ERDs and lying far below the main sequence, making it a strong candidate for a massive quiescent or recently quenched galaxy associated with the protocluster. The coexistence within the same compact core of extreme dusty starbursts, galaxies with suppressed star formation, and a candidate massive quiescent system suggests that the dense environment of SPT2349-56 may already be driving rapid and diverse evolutionary pathways at z>4. These JWST-selected red galaxies reveal a previously inaccessible population extending the protocluster census to lower luminosities and stellar masses, and may represent an early stage in the emergence of the passive galaxy population characteristic of mature cluster cores. SPT2349-56 may therefore capture an early phase of cluster assembly in which extreme starbursts coexist with galaxies already transitioning toward the passive population that will dominate mature cluster cores.

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arXiv2026

REBELS-25: multi-phase morphology and kinematics at z = 7.31

We present a spatially resolved, multi-wavelength study of the massive, star-forming galaxy REBELS-25 at a redshift of $z=7.31$. We combine new high-resolution ALMA [O III]88$μ$m observations with resolution-matched [C II], dust continuum, and JWST/NIRSpec IFU spectroscopy, providing a $\lesssim1$ kpc view of the morphology, interstellar medium (ISM) conditions, and multi-tracer gas kinematics of one of the most mature galaxies known in the reionisation era. We find differing morphologies from the rest-frame UV to far-infrared (FIR) emission, with the UV and optical emission appearing clumpy and irregular, whereas the FIR emission is well-described by near-exponential disc profiles, with [C II] being the most extended. Comparing the resolved UV and FIR emission, we find that obscured star formation contributes $\sim55$-$98$% of the total star formation rate across the galaxy, demonstrating that dust obscuration strongly shapes the observed UV and optical morphology. Resolved ionisation-line diagnostics show no significant variation across the source at $\sim1$ kpc resolution, consistent with broadly similar ISM conditions among the identified regions. Kinematic modelling reveals that both the warm ionised gas, traced by [O III]88$μ$m, and the colder neutral gas, traced by [C II], share the same large-scale rotating structure and are dynamically cold, with ratios of ordered-to-random motion, $V/σ$, of $\sim11$ and 4.5, respectively, although we find evidence for non-circular motions that are not well-described by a simple rotating disc. Overall, these results further support a picture in which REBELS-25 hosts a dusty, chemically enriched, and dynamically cold ISM already in place at $z=7.31$.

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arXiv2026

CCAT: The Prime-Cam Instrument for the Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope -- Overview and Status

Prime-Cam is a first-generation science instrument for the CCAT Observatory's six-meter aperture Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope (FYST), under construction at an elevation of 5600 m on Cerro Chajnantor in Chile's Atacama Desert. Prime-Cam will deliver over ten times greater mapping speed at submillimeter wavelengths than current facilities for unprecedented broadband and spectroscopic measurements in windows between 1.4 -- 0.3 mm (220 -- 850 GHz). When fully populated, Prime-Cam will field over 100,000 kinetic inductance detectors across seven independently optimized instrument modules. With Prime-Cam, the CCAT Collaboration will address a suite of science goals, from Big Bang cosmology, to galaxy evolution and star formation over cosmic time. Prime-Cam is scheduled for integration in FYST in late 2026, followed by a year of early science observations with the 280 and 350 GHz instrument modules. We discuss the design and in-lab testing of the 1.8-m diameter Prime-Cam receiver and 280 GHz instrument module, and give an update on deployment status and early science plans.

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arXiv2026

Tracing Lyman alpha escape in the CRISTAL-02 galaxy at z~5.3

We investigate the mechanisms regulating Lyman-alpha (Ly$α$) escape in the star-forming galaxy CRISTAL-02 at z~5.3. The galaxy has clumpy morphology, suggestive that it may be interacting with other system(s). Two clumps (A and B, hereafter) are suggested as a site for intense star-formation or potential AGN candidates. We investigate how the local gas, dust, and feedback shape the escape of Ly$α$ photons around these clumps. Using VLT/MUSE and JWST/NIRSpec IFU observations, complemented by NIRCam UV imaging, we constructed spatially matched emission-line maps. We derived flux, line-ratio, and extinction maps, together with spatially resolved Ly$α$ escape fractions and ionizing photon production efficiencies. We find that Ly$α$ is significantly more extended than H$α$ and UV, reaching ~33 kpc and preferentially extending along the cold molecular gas outflow traced by [C II] emission. Clumps A and B show contrasting Ly$α$ properties: Clump A has lower dust attenuation and enhanced Ly$α$/H$α$ ratios and escape fraction, whereas Clump B is brighter in H$α$ and UV but has suppressed Ly-$α$ despite a higher ionizing photon production efficiency. These results indicate that Ly$α$ escape is strongly influenced by the local H I geometry, dust, and outflows and cannot be explained by ionizing photon production alone. The observed Ly$α$ morphology and zELDA radiative transfer modeling favor an outflow-driven escape scenario, while the available data cannot uniquely distinguish between AGN and star formation-driven feedback.

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arXiv2026

Dust in the Average Galaxy: Attenuation, Emission, and Opacity from $0<z<7$

We present constraints on the dust emission and attenuation properties of galaxies across 0 10^{10.5}M_\odot$. We derive empirical relationships for the effective attenuation, dust temperature, fraction of star formation that is unobscured, and dust-to-stellar mass ratio as functions of redshift and stellar mass. We separate the first order effect of star/dust geometry from dust grain properties by combining constraints on the IR SED, UV SED, and dust mass surface density. Importantly, we measure over an order of magnitude decrease in $κ_{UV}/κ_{FIR}$--the ratio of dust mass absorption coefficients in the UV at 1600Å and FIR at 500$μ$m--from z~0 to z~7. A depressed $κ_{UV}/κ_{FIR}$ is consistent with a deficit of small dust grains, possibly attributable to the intense radiation fields of high-$z$ star formation; indeed, we find a redshift-invariant inverse relationship between $κ_{UV}/κ_{FIR}$ and $Σ_{SFR}$. Most evolution in the dust-to-stellar ratio is at $z<1$, the product of mild downward evolution in the dust-to-gas ratio combined with steep evolution in the gas-to-stellar ratio. The significant evolution and dynamic range of $κ_{UV}/κ_{FIR}$ and prevailing disconnect between the UV/optical and FIR regimes emphasize that direct dust constraints are irreplaceable for the majority of star-forming galaxies at z<7, not just the most extreme star-formers.

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arXiv2026

Breathing Fire: Hot Dust in the Big Three Dragons at z = 7.15

We present new Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Band 9 ($λ_\mathrm{obs} = 0.45\,\mathrm{mm}$) and 4 ($λ_\mathrm{obs} = 2.2\,\mathrm{mm}$) observations towards the Big Three Dragons, a pair of merging Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) at $z=7.15$. The system was previously detected in ALMA Bands 6, 7 and 8 ($λ_\mathrm{obs} = 0.73 - 1.32\,\mathrm{mm}$), which, combined with our new observations, allows us to robustly constrain its dust temperature and obscured SFR. The unresolved Band 4 observations yield a $3.5σ$ detection, and the $0.4''$ Band 9 observations detect the Eastern and Western LBGs at $3.7$ and $3.5σ$, respectively. Through modified blackbody fitting, we infer a global dust temperature of $T_d = 78_{-23}^{+35}\,\mathrm{K}$ for the system, which implies a high IR luminosity of $\log(L_\mathrm{IR}/L_\odot) = 12.32_{-0.41}^{+0.43}$. This makes the Big Three Dragons one of the most IR-luminous systems known at $z>7$, with a total $\mathrm{SFR}_\mathrm{UV+IR} = 267_{-153}^{+418}\,M_\odot\,\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ that is almost completely obscured ($f_\mathrm{obs} = 0.94_{-0.09}^{+0.04}$). Using resolved ALMA observations in Bands 6, 8 and 9, we confirm both LBGs have hot dust temperatures ($T_d \approx 67 - 84\,\mathrm{K}$) and correspondingly high obscured fractions ($f_\mathrm{obs} \approx 0.88 -0.95$). We find the Western LBG to fall $\sim1\,\mathrm{dex}$ above the canonical IRX-$β_\mathrm{UV}$ relation, suggesting patchy dust obscuration. The compact Eastern component, on the other hand, is consistent with a Calzetti- or SMC-like dust screen within the uncertainties. Together with the similarly hot dust temperature recently reported for the $z=8.31$ galaxy MACS0416-Y1, our results suggest a non-negligible fraction of star formation at the bright end of the UV luminosity function is highly dust-obscured, even at $z\gtrsim7$.

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arXiv2026

Resolving the black hole sphere of influence in a hyper-luminous obscured quasar at redshift 4.6

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) imprint gravitational signatures on the matter within their sphere of influence (SoI). Nuclear gas dynamics can hence be used to accurately measure the mass of an SMBH, yet such measurements remain elusive in the early Universe. We report the first dynamical measurement of an SMBH mass at $z >$ 2, based on high spatial resolution observations of the [C II]157.7um and CO (12-11) 216.93um emission lines that resolve the SoI in an obscured quasar at $z$ = 4.6. The radial profile of the velocity dispersion reveals a clear Keplerian rise, requiring the presence of an approximately 6 $\times$ 10$^9~\rm M_{\odot}$ SMBH. We propose that obscured quasarsallow tracers like [C II] to survive in the inner regions, and may be ideal targets for increasing dynamical SMBH mass estimates in the early Universe.

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arXiv2026

A first systematic study of [OIII] 88$μ$m at $z>8$: two luminous oxygen lines and a powerful ionized outflow in the first 600 million years

We present deep ALMA Band 7 observations of the [OIII] $88μ$m line and underlying dust continuum emission in four UV-bright, gravitationally lensed (magnification $μ= 1.4-3.8$), JWST-selected galaxies at $z = 8.5 - 10.3$, with observed magnitudes $-22.5 \lesssim M_\mathrm{UV} \lesssim -20.5$. [OIII] $88μ$m is confidently detected in UNCOVER-10646 at $z=8.5080 \pm 0.0011$ ($15σ$) and DHZ1 at $z=9.3113 \pm 0.0006$ ($6σ$), with both being intrinsically luminous systems [$L_\text{[OIII]} = (1.1 - 1.6) \times 10^9\,L_\odot$] that follow the local [OIII]-SFR relation. [OIII] $88μ$m remains undetected in the two $z>10$ targets, including in the $z=10.07$ X-ray AGN UHZ1, where we obtain a deep limit of $L_\text{[OIII]} < 6 \times 10^7\,L_\odot$. Dust emission is not detected in any individual source nor in a stack ($<3σ$). The high S/N [OIII] $88μ$m detection in UNCOVER-10646 uniquely reveals an additional broad component ($\mathrm{FWHM} = 1366_{-329}^{+473}\,\mathrm{km/s}$; $Δ\mathrm{BIC}\approx20$) indicative of an ionized outflow. We infer a high outflow rate of $\dot{M}_\mathrm{out} = 128_{-46}^{+80}\,M_\odot\,\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$, corresponding to a mass loading factor $η= \dot{M}_\mathrm{out}/\mathrm{SFR} = 2.9_{-1.0}^{+1.8}$ that matches or exceeds theoretical predictions and JWST-based studies of ionized outflows at high redshift. While high-resolution ALMA follow-up is required to confirm and spatially resolve the outflow, this first systematic study at $z>8$ highlights the unique diagnostic power of [OIII] $88μ$m in characterizing galaxies in the early Universe.

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arXiv2026

A Census of the 200 Most Massive Galaxies Spectroscopically Observed with JWST at zspec $\sim$3-15

Massive galaxies provide strong tests of galaxy formation models, yet a comprehensive spectroscopic view of their properties and demographics in the early Universe has remained elusive. Here we present a JWST spectroscopic census of the 200 most massive galaxies at zspec~3-15, selected using an evolving stellar-mass threshold motivated by the halo mass function and anchored at log(Mstar)>10 at z~5. These galaxies represent the top 3% most massive systems among all publicly available prism observations. We derive their physical properties through joint SED fitting of spectroscopy and photometry, and construct a clean massive galaxy sample after removing LRDs and broad-line AGN contaminants. We find that the massive galaxy population evolves strongly with redshift: normal SFGs (Av<1 mag) dominate at z>~6, while dusty SFGs (Av>1 mag) and QGs become more common toward lower redshift. Dust attenuation decreases systematically toward higher redshift. We identify 29 massive QGs, including a population of recently quenched systems whose star formation declined rapidly within the past ~100 Myr. We further show that both the traditional UVJ and recently proposed (ugi)s selections suffer substantial inconsistency with the most massive galaxies at z>3, motivating a revised (ugi)s criterion calibrated using our spectroscopic sample. The inferred formation histories suggest at least two pathways toward quiescence: a dust-enriched pathway linking normal SFGs, dusty SFGs, and QGs, and a more direct pathway connecting normal SFGs and QGs. Massive normal SFGs appear to grow through both relatively gradual and rapid assembly modes. Together, these results suggest that rapid stellar-mass assembly, dust enrichment, and quenching were already shaping the evolutionary pathways of the most massive galaxies within the first billion years after the Big Bang.

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arXiv2026

Cm-wavelength Studies of Molecular Gas and Star Formation at High Redshift with the SKA

The Square Kilometre Array will be a revolutionary instrument for the study of gas in the distant Universe. At frequencies below ~50 GHz, observations of redshifted emission from low-J transitions of CO, HCN, HCO+, and HNC, etc. provide insight into the kinematics and mass budget of the cold, dense star-forming gas in galaxies. Over the past decade, sensitive imaging using ALMA has detected and resolved the redshifted high-J molecular CO line emission and far-infrared fine structure lines in samples of galaxies over a wide redshift range, shedding light on active star-formation processes at the early epoch of galaxy evolution. In recent years, increasing numbers of young galaxies at high redshift are discovered by JWST, which significantly improved our knowledge of different galaxy populations across cosmic time. In this updated chapter of the SKA science book, we would like to highlight the importance of studies of the low-J molecular lines in high-z galaxies using SKA toward high frequencies, discussing the request of frequency coverage beyond 15 GHz and emphasizing its crucial role in exploring the cold molecular gas content in the young galaxy populations in the early universe and investigating the regions of active-star formation using molecular CO and various dense gas tracers.

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arXiv2026

PAHSPECS: Spatially Resolved PAH Spectroscopy at cosmic noon with JWST MIRI MRS

We present spatially resolved spectroscopy with JWST/MIRI MRS of a representative sample of normal star-forming galaxies at $z\sim1.1$ as part of the PAHSPECS program. To extract emission from Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) features, we forward model the data cubes with non-parametric spatial distributions, accounting for convolution with the PSF. With this method we are able to recover accurate spatial profiles of the 3.3 $μ$m, 6.2 $μ$m, 7.7 $μ$m, 11.3 $μ$m PAHs and [ArII] (6.98 $μ$m) emission and produce PAH ratio maps at cosmic noon. From the PAH ratio maps we find that PAHs become larger and more neutral with increasing galactocentric radius, which is the opposite of trends in local galaxies, indicating radial ISM gradients in normal star-forming galaxies are different at cosmic noon. Through spatially resolved SED fitting of HST and JWST photometry we measure the UV radiation field hardness through the intrinsic ratio of UV to optical flux and find the 3.3/11.3 PAH ratio to decrease with increasing hardness and the 11.3/7.7 to increase. This may suggest photo-destruction of small/ionized PAHs is driving the observed PAH ratio trends and may explain the overall lower 3.3/11.3 PAH at cosmic noon compared to the local universe. This work demonstrates that PAH properties hold crucial information on the resolved ISM physics of galaxies at cosmic noon.

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arXiv2026

An extreme ram-pressure stripping event in a protocluster at redshift 4.3

In the nearby Universe, the environment plays a crucial role in suppressing star formation in dense regions. In particular, ram-pressure stripping (RPS) is a major mechanism for removing gas from galaxies in clusters, occurring when galaxies travel through a dense hot atmosphere and leave trailing gaseous wakes. By depleting the cold gas reservoir, RPS can drive outside-in quenching and is therefore thought to be an important route for transforming cluster galaxies. At earlier times, however, protoclusters are dynamically young and their hot atmospheres are expected to be immature, so environmental effects are commonly assumed to be dominated by gravitational interactions rather than hydrodynamic stripping. Recent observations have begun to show that RPS can already operate before mature cluster assembly, including extended gas tails in a forming cluster at $z=2.51$ and in a galaxy group at $z=3.06$. These studies demonstrate that hydrodynamic stripping is possible at earlier times, but whether RPS can become sufficient enough to quench massive galaxies at $z>2$ remains unclear. Here we report ALMA and JWST observations of SPT2349$-$56-C26, a massive galaxy experiencing an extreme RPS event in the SPT2349$-$56 protocluster at $z=4.30$. C26 appears to exhibit a particularly severe active-stripping phase: the displaced gas contains more than half of the observed cold-gas reservoir, with the gas-emission peak showing a large 6-kpc offset from the stellar body. These observations show that RPS can remove most of the cold gas from massive galaxies in dense protocluster cores as early as $z=4.3$, providing a direct hydrodynamic pathway for environmental quenching at $z>4$.

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arXiv2026

PAHSPECS: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon properties at cosmic noon with JWST/MIRI MRS

Context. Cosmic noon (z ~ 1-3) marks the peak of the cosmic star-formation rate density, when dust-obscured star formation dominated galaxy growth. Mid-infrared spectroscopy probes the interstellar medium through PAH emission, whose band ratios trace PAH charge, size, and local radiation-field conditions. Aims. We characterize the PAH properties of five z ~ 1.1 star-forming galaxies from the PAHSPECS survey and investigate how their PAH luminosities and band ratios relate to global galaxy properties. We compare them with local luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs) to assess whether PAH emission at cosmic noon differs from that nearby. Methods. We analyze JWST/MIRI MRS observations of five ASPECS galaxies in the HUDF. Integrated spectra are extracted with wavelength-dependent apertures and modeled with CAFE, including ancillary photometry to constrain the dust emission. Stellar masses and SFRs are derived with Prospector. Results. Compared to local LIRGs, most PAHSPECS sources show higher 6.2/7.7 and lower 11.3/7.7 ratios, suggesting an ionized PAH component weighted toward smaller grains. The 3.3/11.3 ratio is less constrained, since the 3.3 micron feature is detected in only two sources. Within the sample, 11.3/7.7 increases with sSFR and star-formation surface density, while 6.2/7.7 decreases with sSFR, consistent with preferential processing of small ionized PAH carriers. ASPECS-15, the AGN-hosting source, has the lowest 6.2/7.7 ratio and highest sSFR, suggesting a reduced contribution from small PAHs, potentially due to AGN activity. The 7.7 micron luminosity follows the local L7.7-SFR relation, supporting its use as a star-formation tracer at z ~ 1. Conclusions. PAH emission at cosmic noon appears shaped by different ISM conditions than in nearby starburst galaxies, likely reflecting more intense radiation fields, while the 7.7 micron feature remains a robust SFR tracer.

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arXiv2026

Direct detection of cool molecular gas in a star-forming galaxy at $z=7.31$

We investigate the molecular gas content and interstellar medium (ISM) conditions of REBELS-25, a massive, star-forming galaxy at $z=7.31$. Deep VLA Q-band and ALMA Band 3 observations reveal CO(3-2) and CO(7-6) emission (both at $\sim3.5σ$), and provide an upper limit on [C I](2-1). From the CMB-corrected CO(3-2) flux-representing the highest-redshift detection of a low-$J$ CO transition to date-we derive a molecular gas mass of $M_{\rm mol}=(1.0\pm0.4)\times10^{11}\,(α_{\rm CO}/(3\,$M$_{\odot}$(K$\,$\kms$\,$pc$^2)^{-1}))\,$M$_{\odot}$, directly confirming the presence of a very massive gas reservoir only $\simeq700\,$Myr after the Big Bang. This implies an extreme gas fraction of $f_{\rm gas}\simeq0.95$, a gas-to-dust ratio of $δ_{\rm GDR}\simeq6\times10^2$, and a depletion timescale of $τ_{\rm dep}\simeq1.2\,$Gyr, broadly consistent with extrapolated scaling relations for main-sequence galaxies at lower redshift. Using the radiative transfer code TUNER, we self-consistently model CO and dust continuum emission in the context of the significant CMB background, constraining ISM properties and recovering $M_{\rm mol}= (1.8^{+1.0}_{-0.9})\times10^{11}\,$M$_{\odot}$, independent of assumptions about $r_{31}$ and $α_{\rm CO}$. We further discuss the use of alternative molecular gas tracers at early epochs. Combining CO and [C II] measurements, we infer an empirical [C II]-to-H$_2$ conversion factor of $α_{\rm [C II]}=(60\pm25)\,$M$_{\odot}$/L$_{\odot}$, suggesting [C II] remains a viable molecular gas tracer in the Epoch of Reionization. These results demonstrate the detectability of low-$J$ CO emission even at $z>7$, paving the way for next-generation facilities, and provide critical insights into the rapid mass assembly of galaxies during the first billion years of cosmic history.

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arXiv2026

JWST absorption line spectroscopy with SPURS: ISM covering fractions and kinematics in individual galaxies at $z=5-9$

We present deep rest-ultraviolet (UV) spectra of six luminous $z=5$ -- 9 galaxies in the Abell-2744 field taken as part of the JWST Cycle 4 Large Program SPURS. The individual galaxy spectra show unambiguous detections of interstellar medium (ISM) metal absorption lines from low- and high-ionization states of enriched gas, which we use to probe the ISM gas porosity and kinematics. We find a striking diversity in the absorption profiles. We find low-ionization gas covering fractions ranging from 0.2 to 0.9, indicating a heterogeneous and patchy neutral ISM. The low-ionization kinematics also show a large diversity, with velocity centroid values ranging from $+$70 to a significantly blueshifted $-140$ km$\,$s$^{-1}$, while the high-ion gas shows mostly blueshifted absorption, indicating the presence of multiphase outflows. While all sources show outflow signatures in blueshifted wings, we also find that half of our sample, in particular those with the lowest stellar masses and highest sSFRs, have low-ionization velocity centroids close to systemic velocities. This is in contrast to near-ubiquitous bulk low-ionization gas outflows at lower redshifts. We suggest that this diversity of kinematics may be due to the bulk of the cold gas having low outflow velocities in the lowest mass and highest sSFR systems, potentially due to inefficient entrainment and/or an unresolved infalling component. These spectra reveal a metal-enriched ISM with complex gas geometry and kinematics, and highlight the potential of deep JWST grating spectroscopy to reveal the properties of the ISM during the reionization era.

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arXiv2026

A Deep Study of the Spiral Galaxy W2246f

In this era of large surveys and statistical studies of galaxies, the beauty in the details of individual galaxies is often lost. We present a deep study of the spiral galaxy W2246f with MUSE, exploring the spatially-resolved stellar and ionized gas properties to understand how it formed and evolved over time. The unusually deep observations of this galaxy give us a rare opportunity to study this phenomenon with better spatial resolution than can normally be achieved with the current IFU surveys of galaxies at a similar redshift ($z\sim0.09$). We analyse the stellar and gas kinematics, as well as the spatially resolved stellar populations and gas properties, including gas metallicity and the dominant ionization sources. The derived properties include the stellar mass, radial profiles of luminosity- and mass-weighted mean ages and metallicities, and ionized gas characteristics such as E(B-V), H$α$ extinction, dust-corrected H$α$ flux, oxygen abundance using the O3N2 calibrator, and H$α$-based star formation rate. Analysis of the stellar populations revealed a negative metallicity gradient, and the mass-weighted ages showed uniformly flat ages across the disc while the luminosity-weighted ages show a negative gradient. We find that the gas metallicity and star formation rate density also drop in the central region of the galaxy where the older luminosity-weighted stellar populations are found. Analysis of the WHAN and WHaD diagrams reveal that in fact the central region is retired while the rest of the disc is star forming. We conclude that W2246f is a nice example of a cLIER galaxy, where the central kpc is dominated by old, metal-poor stars with little star formation. The central LIER emission is primarily powered by hot evolved stars, while the rest of the disc displays ongoing star formation. These findings are consistent with a scenario of inside-out quenching.

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arXiv2026

The ALPINE-CRISTAL-JWST Survey: The Fast Metal Enrichment of Massive Galaxies at z~5

We present the stellar mass-metallicity relation (MZR) and mass-metallicity-star formation relation ("fundamental metallicity relation"; FMR) of 18 massive (log(M/Msun) = 9.5 - 11) main-sequence galaxies at z~5 from the ALPINE-CRISTAL-JWST sample. This sample complements recent studies by JWST at up to two orders of magnitude lower stellar masses. The metallicities are derived using strong optical lines, and verified by temperature-based oxygen abundance measurements for five galaxies for which faint auroral lines are detected. We find that the metal abundance evolves, on average, from 40% to 60% solar between z~5 and cosmic noon (z~2) at the massive end of the MZR, suggesting already significant metal enrichment at early times. The FMR at z=5 exhibits a 5x larger scatter (preferentially to lower metallicities) compared the local FMR relation. This scatter can be explained by a bursty star formation and the direct build-up of metals in early galaxies as well as differences in age and outflow efficiencies. Capitalizing on all available samples, we find that the observed MZR and FMR over three orders of stellar mass is generally in good agreement with results from cosmological simulation, although some underestimate the metal enrichment at low stellar masses. This may be due to too efficient metal-rich outflows. We show that the ALPINE-CRISTAL-JWST galaxies likely joined the current FMR at z~10 and will evolve into massive (log(M/Msun)~11.4) galaxies with super-solar metallicities by z=0.

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arXiv2026

The ALPINE-CRISTAL-JWST Survey: Gas-phase abundance gradients of main sequence star-forming galaxies and their kinematics at $4 < z < 6$

We present gas-phase radial metallicity profiles for 20 main-sequence galaxies at $4 0.05{\rm dexkpc^{-1}}$ at $1σ$, and none have a significant negative gradient. We investigated the correlation between the metallicity gradients and the intrinsic gas velocity dispersion $σ_0$ as well as the $V_{\rm rot}/σ_0$ ratio of the disks. Combining our sample with mass-matched literature samples at $3<z<7$, we found a negative shallow correlation between $V_{\rm rot}/σ_0$ and the metallicity gradients, but no strong relationships with $σ_0$. As $V_{\rm rot}/σ_0$ increases towards later cosmic times, the observed negative trend with $V_{\rm rot}/σ_0$ is consistent with the overall cosmic evolution of metallicity gradients from high to low redshifts. This suggests that disk maturity plays a crucial role in shaping the radial metallicity gradients. [Abridged abstract]

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