arXiv subjects

Marcia Rieke

Publications and source records attributed to Marcia Rieke.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Little Red Dots: One Photometric Tag Concealing Diverse Spectroscopic Flavors of Massive Star Formation and Black Hole Activity

We compile JWST/NIRSpec prism and MIRI data for 249 Little Red Dots (LRDs) at 2.3<z<9.3, forming a representative spectroscopic subset of NIRCam-selected LRDs. We derive a median stacked spectrum covering rest-frame 0.09-1.2 $μ$m, with MIRI photometry extending the spectral energy distribution to 4 $μ$m. Four additional stacks for subsamples defined by optical-to-UV luminosity ratios show that LRDs form a heterogeneous population spanning diverse continuum slopes and line properties. Assuming LRDs host super-massive black holes (BHs) surrounded by dense gas clouds, and stars accompany this core, we infer masses of $M_{BH}\sim10^{6.0-6.5}$ M$_\odot$ and $M_\bigstar\sim10^{8.3}$ M$_\odot$, corresponding to BH-to-stellar mass ratios of 1-2%. The stacks show ubiquitous UV and optical FeII emission, indicating a direct view of the broad-line region and high (but sub-Eddington) accretion ($λ_{Edd}=0.6\pm0.2$). We find a significant stellar contribution in the far-UV, reaching $\sim80$% in the bluest systems. Possible Wolf-Rayet features (HeII$λ$4687, nitrogen lines) are identified, tracing a young (3-7 Myr) compact starburst event. We also detect strong Balmer breaks and atypical Balmer, Paschen, [OIII], and optical and near-infrared HeI line ratios, and an absorption at $\sim4550$ Angstrom (probably linked to FeII), all consistent with radiative-transfer effects in high-density gas with warm temperatures (4000-7000 K). We find a diversity of LRD flavors modulated by the luminosity ratio between between a short ($\lesssim20$ Myr) and intense phase of BH activity, the most extreme stage lasting $\sim3-7$ Myr, characterized by near-Eddington-limit radiation, and a nuclear and compact starburst dominated by massive stars (even super-massive, $\mathrm{M}_\mathrm{SMS}\sim10^{5}$ M$_\odot$), all embedded in dense gas with modest dust content producing a variety of optical depths.

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arXiv2026

Compact Core, Extended Reach: A Bipolar kpc-Scale Elongation in a Little Red Dot at $z \approx 5.5$

Little Red Dots (LRDs) appear extremely compact at rest-frame optical wavelengths, yet many show extended rest-frame UV morphology revealing more complex internal structure. We present a combined analysis of VLT/MUSE rest-frame UV integral-field spectroscopy and continuum-subtracted [O III], H$β$, and H$α$+[N II] emission-line maps from JWST/NIRCam imaging at sub-kpc resolution for LRD-204851 at $z=5.482$ in GOODS-S. We find that LRD-204851 hosts a remarkably thin, bipolar, elongated structure passing through the optical continuum centroid and extending several kpc on either side, traced by both the UV continuum and the rest-frame optical emission lines, with a bright [O III] clump-like structure $\sim$2 kpc to the south-east of the centroid. The MUSE observations reveal a double-peaked Ly$α$ profile, with a broad and bright near-systemic red peak and a relatively faint peak blueshifted by $\sim$430 km s$^{-1}$, accompanied by a tentative N V $λ1238$ detection at similar velocity. In narrow-band imaging extracted from the MUSE IFU cube, both the blue Ly$α$ peak and the tentative N V emission lean toward this same south-eastern direction. Independently, radiative-transfer modeling of the integrated Ly$α$ profile favors a biconical low-column-density cavity in a dense, slowly expanding neutral envelope, in support of the bipolar geometry traced by the line maps. Together, these results suggest that the elongated emission of LRD-204851 is connected to radiation and/or gas flow from its central engine through a low-column-density channel with a small opening angle that may trace either a slow outflow or a quasi-static ionization cone. LRD-204851 is one of the first LRDs where the central engine's impact on its host galaxy is potentially directly observable on kpc scales.

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arXiv2026

JWST/NIRCam Imaging of Young Stellar Objects. IV. Detailed Imaging of the Protoplanetary Disk around TW Hya

As the nearest protoplanetary disk to Earth ($d = 60.14$ pc), TW Hya is one of the most studied protoplanetary disks and a critical benchmark for testing planet formation theories. We present high-contrast coronagraphic imaging of the TW Hya disk from JWST/NIRCam across four filters (F187N, F200W, F356W, and F444W). We detect the disk's scattered-light emission in F200W, F356W, and F444W. An elliptical fit to the disk image yields an average inclination of $i = 8.74^{+1.03}_{-0.94}$ degrees and a position angle of $\mathrm{PA} = 75.62^{+7.86}_{-6.56}$ degrees. We find tentative evidence for radial variations in these parameters, a trend consistent with a disk warp. Our companion search yields no new detections, placing the lowest mass limits yet on companions that might be responsible for carving out the dust gap. Assuming no local extinction and a system age of 10 Myr, the F444W data are sensitive to masses down to $\sim 0.4\,M_{\rm Jup}$ at separations of $1$ arcsec ($\sim 60$ AU). Accounting for local disk extinction analogous to the AS 209 system, our limits reach sub-Jupiter masses beyond $2$ arcsec. Furthermore, our analysis provides a detailed view of a previously detected feature in the outer disk at $\sim 120$ AU, confirming its morphology as a distinct bifurcation structure. This feature may indicate the presence of complex substructures arising from dynamical planet-disk interactions. These results demonstrate JWST's ability to characterize the architecture of protoplanetary disks and constrain the properties of forming worlds.

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arXiv2026

Through the Veil: Ly$α$ Illuminates the Host Galaxies of Little Red Dots

Little Red Dots (LRDs) are enigmatic, compact red sources ubiquitous in JWST deep fields whose physical nature remains elusive. As one of the most sensitive tracers of neutral hydrogen in galaxy environments, Ly$α$ is uniquely positioned to probe the gaseous structures proposed to explain LRDs' unusual properties. We present a systematic study of Ly$α$ emission in LRDs, using a sample of 110 spectroscopically confirmed LRDs at $z \geq 4$ from the A. de Graaff et al. (2025) catalog, all with NIRSpec/PRISM coverage of the Ly$α$ line. We detect Ly$α$ at signal-to-noise S/N $\geq$ 3 in 32 LRDs, finding Ly$α$ luminosities and the distribution of rest-frame equivalent widths consistent with normal star-forming galaxies at comparable redshifts. Yet the Ly$α$/H$α$ ratios fall systematically below those of star-forming galaxies, and the Ly$α$ luminosity tracks [O III] luminosity more closely than [O III] equivalent width, together suggesting that Ly$α$ is primarily associated with the host-scale component rather than the compact component responsible for the broad Balmer lines and red continuum. For 13 LRDs at $z \gtrsim 5.5$, we construct continuum-subtracted Ly$α$ maps using broadband imaging from HST/ACS or JWST/NIRCam, revealing spatially extended, asymmetric, and often offset emission relative to the rest-optical light, consistent with resonant scattering through clumpy, anisotropic gas commonly observed in high-redshift Ly$α$ emitters. These results support a two-component picture in which the compact rest-optical source is embedded within a more extended host-galaxy environment whose interstellar and circumgalactic gas shapes Ly$α$ escape and spatial redistribution. Ly$α$ opens a new window into the relation between the compact red component, the host galaxy, and the surrounding gas in LRDs.

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arXiv2026

JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) Data Release 5: stellar population catalogue for galaxies in GOODS-N and GOODS-S

We present the galaxy stellar population catalogue from the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) Data Release 5 (DR5), providing homogeneous Bayesian inference of physical galaxy properties in GOODS-N and GOODS-S. Using deep JWST/NIRCam and MIRI imaging combined with ancillary multi-wavelength data, we model the spectral energy distributions of ~500,000 sources with the Prospector framework. Our modelling incorporates flexible non-parametric star-formation histories (SFHs), nebular emission, dust attenuation, metallicities, and mid-infrared AGN and dust emission. We adopt an evolving star-forming main sequence (SFMS) prior for modelling the SFHs, which provides a physically-motivated long-term shape of SFHs while retaining non-parametric flexibility. The prior links stellar mass growth and SFR through the observed redshift-dependent SFMS, shaping the global behaviour of the inferred SFHs but allowing substantial deviations and scatters wherever supported by the data. We derive posterior distributions for stellar masses, SFRs, SFHs, dust attenuation, metallicities, and AGN contributions. The depth and wavelength coverage of JADES enable robust stellar mass measurements down to low-mass limits, as well as improved constraints on recent star-formation activity for ~350,000 galaxies at z = 1 - 9. The adoption of a physically motivated prior mitigates unphysical solutions and reduces degeneracies between redshift, age, dust, and metallicity, particularly for faint sources. We validate the catalogue through consistency checks and comparison to spectroscopic redshifts where available. The resulting value-added catalogue provides a uniform set of stellar population parameters suitable for statistical studies of galaxy growth, quenching, and the build-up of stellar mass across cosmic time. The full catalogue and posterior summaries are publicly released as part of JADES DR5.

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arXiv2026

JADES: An Abundance of Ultra-Distant T- and Y-Dwarfs in Deep Extragalactic Data

Ultra-cool T- (T$_{\mathrm{eff}} \approx$ 500 - 1200 K) and Y-dwarfs (T$_{\mathrm{eff}}$ $\lessapprox 500$ K) have historically been found only a few hundred parsecs from the Sun. The sensitivity and wavelength coverage of the NIRCam instrument on board the James Webb Space Telescope offer a unique method for finding low-temperature brown dwarfs in deep extragalactic datasets out to multiple kiloparsecs. Here we report on the selection of a sample of 41 brown dwarf and brown dwarf candidates across the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) in the GOODS-S and GOODS-N regions. We introduce a new open-source Bayesian tool, the Near-Infrared Fitting for T and Y-dwarfs (\texttt{NIFTY}), to derive effective temperatures, metallicities, and distances from JWST photometry. We find that 31 candidates have fits consistent with T-dwarf temperatures out to 5 - 6 kpc, and 10 candidates have fits consistent with Y-dwarf temperatures out to 1 - 2 kpc. The majority of the sources are best fit with sub-solar metallicity models, consistent with them being subdwarfs in the Milky Way thick disk and halo. We report proper motions for nine brown dwarf candidates (three are newly presented), and calculate the number density of T- and Y-dwarfs as a function of temperature and distance above the Milky Way midplane. We further discuss how Y-dwarfs can serve as contaminants in the search for ultra-high-redshift galaxies. Together, these results demonstrate the power of deep JWST extragalactic imaging to probe the coldest substellar populations far beyond the solar neighborhood, providing new constraints on the Milky Way's structure and brown dwarf demographics.

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arXiv2026

JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) Data Release 5: Photometrically Selected Galaxy Candidates at z > 8

We present a sample of 2081 sources selected at photometric redshift $z_{\mathrm{phot}} > 8$ across the JADES DR5 data release in GOODS-S and GOODS-N over a total area of 469 square arcmin. These sources range from $M_{\mathrm{UV}} = -22$ to $M_{\mathrm{UV}} = -16$, with 19 objects at $z_{\mathrm{phot}} > 14$. We estimate the UV slopes for the full sample from fits to the photometry and find evidence for a steepening of the relationship between the UV continuum slope and $M_{\mathrm{UV}}$ to higher redshifts, a result that differs from prior analyses of brighter samples in the literature. We provide evidence that over one quarter of our sources have evidence for being morphologically extended, with many galaxies showing multiple bright knots or clumps even out to $z \sim 13 - 14$, an indication of how galaxies at Cosmic Dawn are growing and evolving. We discuss JADES-GN+189.15982+62.28899, a GOODS-N F200W dropout galaxy at $z_{\mathrm{phot}} \sim 15 - 18$ which has been observed spectroscopically with JWST/NIRSpec in prism mode, resulting in a very low signal-to-noise spectrum that is consistent with the photometry and rules out a number of low-redshift solutions for the source. Finally, we use a subsample of 123 objects in our sample with spectroscopic redshifts to explore the usage of alternate fitting templates and a prescription for Ly-$α$ damping wing absorption, finding that both produce significant improvements to the estimated photometric redshifts.

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arXiv2026

JADES Data Release 4 Paper I: Sample Selection, Observing Strategy and Redshifts of the complete spectroscopic sample

This paper accompanies Data Release 4 of the JWST Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES), which presents the full NIRSpec spectroscopy of the survey. We provide spectra of 5190 targets across GOODS-North and GOODS-South (including the Hubble Ultra Deep Field), observed with the low-dispersion (R $\sim$ 30-300) prism and three medium-resolution (R $\sim$ 1000) gratings spanning 0.8 $< λ<$ 5.5 microns; 2654 were also observed with the higher-resolution (R $\sim$ 2700) G395H grating. The tiered survey design obtained more than 20 hr exposures for $\sim$ 700 galaxies in the Deep and Ultra Deep tiers, and shallower observations ($\sim$ 1-3 hr per setting) of $>$ 4400 galaxies in the Medium tiers. Targets were selected from photometric redshifts or colours, with priority given to rest-UV-selected galaxies at $z > 5.7$ and F444W-selected galaxies at $1.5 < z < 5.7$. 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 $z > 5.7$ and 2545 at $1.5 < z < 5.7$. To facilitate uniform analyses, we define 'gold' sub-samples based on UV- and F444W-selection. Using the parent samples and redshift success rates, we construct rest-UV luminosity functions at $6 \lesssim z \lesssim 9$ 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.

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arXiv2026

Intense and extended CIII] emission suggests a strong outflow in JADES-GS-z14-0

JWST has revealed an overabundance of very bright, blue galaxies at z>10, raising fundamental questions about how star formation and feedback operate at Cosmic Dawn. We present new JWST/NIRSpec MSA PRISM/CLEAR spectroscopy of JADES-GS-z14-0 (z=14.18) obtained with the JADES and OASIS programmes. While the rest-frame UV continuum flux level and shape are consistent between the two datasets, the OASIS spectrum shows a 10$σ$ detection of the CIII]$λ\lambda1907,1909$ emission line, with a luminosity three times higher than that measured in the JADES data. This difference is naturally explained by the offset in shutter placement between OASIS and JADES, implying that the CIII] emission is spatially displaced by $\sim400$ pc from the stellar continuum. The non-detection of CIII] in NIRCam medium-band imaging indicates that the emitting region is extended on scales $\gtrsim165$ pc, with a surface brightness below the detection threshold. Interpreting this diffuse, carbon-enriched gas as the result of ongoing or past outflows, we infer a mass outflow rate of $\dot{M}_{\rm out}\sim160~{\rm M_\odot\,yr^{-1}}$. We compare it with the star-formation rate (SFR) and derive a mass-loading factor of $η= \dot{M}_{\rm out}/{\rm SFR} = 4-15$, suggesting highly efficient feedback at very early times. Finally, we show that, if outflows are one of the mechanisms regulating star formation in JADES-GS-z14-0, the instantaneous star-formation efficiency in massive haloes is constrained to $ε_\star\lesssim0.08$. These results support a scenario in which outflows play a crucial role during the earliest phases of galaxy formation. Comparing our results with the current theoretical galaxy formation model, we conclude that a combination of moderate star-formation efficiency and reduced dust attenuation can account for the emergence of luminous galaxies at the highest redshifts.

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arXiv2026

The $z \gtrsim 9$ galaxy UV luminosity function from the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey: insights into early galaxy evolution and reionization

The high-redshift UV luminosity function provides important insights into the evolution of early galaxies. JWST has revealed an unexpectedly large population of bright ($M_\mathrm{UV} \lesssim -20$) galaxies at $z\gtrsim10$, implying fundamental changes in the star forming properties of galaxies at increasingly early times. However, constraining the fainter population ($M_\mathrm{UV} \gtrsim -18$) has been more challenging. In this work, we present the $z\gtrsim9$ UV luminosity function from the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey. We calculate the UV luminosity function from several hundred $z\gtrsim9$ galaxy candidates that reach UV luminosities of $M_\mathrm{UV}\sim-17$ in redshift bins of $z\sim9-12$ (309 candidates) and $z\sim12-16$ (63 candidates). We search for candidates at $z\sim16-22.5$ and find none. We also estimate the $z\sim14-16$ luminosity function from the $z\geq14$ subset of the $z\sim12-16$ sample. Consistent with other measurements, we find an excess of bright galaxies that is in tension with many theoretical models, especially at $z\gtrsim12$. However, we also find high number densities at $-18\lesssim M_\mathrm{UV} \lesssim-17$, suggesting that there is a larger population of faint galaxies than expected, as well as bright ones. From our parametric fits for the luminosity function, we find steep faint end slopes of $-2.5\lesssimα\lesssim-2.3$, suggesting a large population of faint ($M_\mathrm{UV} \gtrsim -17$) galaxies. Combined, the high normalization and steep faint end slope of the luminosity function could imply that the reionization process is appreciably underway as early as $z=10$.

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arXiv2026

JADES: Low Surface Brightness Galaxies at 0.4 < z < 0.8 in GOODS-S

Low surface brightness galaxies (LSBs) are an important class of galaxies that allow us to broaden our understanding of galaxy formation and test various cosmological models. We present a survey of low surface brightness galaxies at $0.4 < z_{\rm phot} < 0.8$ in the GOODS-S field using JADES data. We model LSB surface brightness profiles, identifying those with $\barμ_{\rm eff} > 24$ mag arcsec$^{-2}$ in the F200W JWST/NIRCam filter. We study the spatial distribution, number density, Sérsic profile parameters, and rest-frame colours of these LSBs. We compare the photometrically-derived star formation histories, mass-weighted ages, and dust attenuations of these galaxies with a high surface brightness (HSB) sample at similar redshift and a lower redshift ($z_{\rm phot} < 0.4$) LSB sample, all of which have stellar masses $\lesssim 10^8 M_{\odot}$. We find that all samples have low star formation (SFR$_{100} \lesssim 0.01$ $M_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$). The higher redshift LSBs and HSBs have similar star formation histories which show that the LSBs and HSBs possibly come from the same progenitors at $z \gtrsim 2$, though the histories are not well constrained for the LSB samples. The LSBs appear to have minimal dust, with most of our LSB samples showing $A_V < 1$ mag. JWST has pushed our understanding of LSBs beyond the local Universe.

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arXiv2026

JWST spectral retrieval of cold directly imaged planet WD0806 b and the first measurement of altitude-dependent K$_{zz}$ in exoplanet atmospheres

WD0806 b is a rare exoplanet companion orbiting a white dwarf, currently with a projected orbital distance of 2500 au. The Spitzer mid-IR photometry suggests that the temperature is as cold as 350K, making it one of the coldest directly imaged exoplanets. In this paper, we present the Near-infrared Camera (NIRCam) F150W2, F200W, F356W, and F444W broadband photometry and a 3--5\um Near-Infrared spectroscopy (NIRSpec) G395M spectrum obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We develop a new retrieval framework based on the open-source PICASO software that includes additive and multiplicative systematic parameters. Our retrieval results reveal bounded abundances of H$_2$S, CO$_2$, CO, NH$_3$, H$_2$O, and CH$_4$. We present a new chemical analysis framework that utilizes retrieved abundances to measure altitude-dependent eddy diffusion coefficients (K$_{\mathrm zz}$) at multiple quenched pressures. We find that the eddy diffusion coefficients decrease from around $10^4$ to $10^2$ $\rm cm^2/s$ as the atmospheric pressure decreases from from 50 to 20 bars. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report altitude-dependent vertical mixing (or, equivalently, quenched-species-dependent vertical mixing) based on the measured molecular abundances of CO, CH$_4$, and CO$_2$. With the 1--21\um NIRCam, NIRSpec and the previously published MIRI data, we measure the bolometric luminosity to be log(L/L$_{\odot}$) = $-6.75\pm0.01$ and derive the mass to be $8\pm 1 \mathrm{M_J}$. The retrieval results suggest that \target has an elevated C/O ratio of 0.76, or 1.3$\times$ solar, sub-solar metallicity ([M/H ]= -0.25), and a nearly solar C/S ratio (1.17x solar).

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arXiv2026

JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) Data Release 5: NIRCam Imaging in GOODS-S and GOODS-N

We present the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) imaging products of the fifth data release (DR5) of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES). The JADES survey is one of the most ambitious programs yet conducted on JWST, producing deep infrared imaging and multiobject spectroscopy on the GOODS-S and GOODS-N extragalactic deep fields in order to explore galaxies to the earliest epoch. Here we describe the NIRCam data reduction procedures that result in deep and well-characterized mosaics in up to 18 filters covering 469 arcmin$^2$, with 250 arcmin$^2$ having at least 8 filters of coverage. This release contains the full NIRCam imaging of JADES, over 800 JWST mission hours, as well as co-reductions of 19 other programs in these two premier deep fields. We perform detailed tests on the final data products, thereby characterizing the photometric properties, point-spread function, and astrometric alignment. We release mosaics for individual programs (or epochs, depending on scheduling) and the mosaics combining data from all programs in order to facilitate photometric variability studies and the deepest possible photometry.

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arXiv2026

JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) Data Release 5: MIRI Coordinated Parallels in GOODS-S and GOODS-N

Medium to ultra-deep mid-infrared imaging surveys with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)'s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) are reframing our view of the early Universe, from the emergence of ultra-red dusty and quiescent galaxies to the epoch of reionization to the first galaxies. Here we present the MIRI coordinated parallels component of the JADES program, which obtained ultra-deep (155 ks) imaging at $7.7 μ$m over $\sim10$ arcmin$^2$ as well as medium depth ($\sim5-15$ ks) imaging at $7.7, 12.8$, and $15 μ$m over $\sim36$, 25, and 22 arcmin$^2$, respectively, in the GOODS-S and GOODS-N fields. This paper describes the data reduction, which combines the official JWST Calibration Pipeline with custom steps to optimize flagging of warm/hot pixels and optimize background subtraction. We further introduce a new step to address artifacts caused by persistence from saturating sources. The final, fully reduced JADES/MIRI mosaics are being released as part of JADES Data Release 5, along with prior-based forced photometry using NIRCam detection images, providing critical rest-frame near-infrared and optical constraints on early galaxy populations.

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arXiv2026

JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) Data Release 5: Photometric Catalog

JADES Data Release 5 (DR5) photometric catalogs and describes the methodologies used for source detection, deblending, photometry, uncertainty estimation, and catalog curation. The catalogs are constructed from 35 space-based imaging mosaics obtained with JWST/NIRCam, JWST/MIRI, HST/ACS, and HST/WFC3, combining approximately 1250 hours of JADES imaging with extensive additional public JWST and HST observations in the GOODS fields. Sources are identified using custom signal-to-noise-based detection and deblending algorithms optimized for the depth, resolution, and complex point-spread-function structure of JWST imaging. Source centroids, shapes, and photometric apertures are determined using a new fast two-dimensional Gaussian regression method applied to detection-image profiles. We provide forced circular-aperture photometry, ellipsoidal Kron photometry, and curve-of-growth measurements for every source in every band. We introduce a new pixel-level regression framework to model photometric uncertainties as a function of aperture size and local mosaic properties, accounting for correlated noise in heterogeneous JWST mosaics. Photometric redshifts are computed using template-based fitting applied to both small-aperture photometry on unconvolved images and Kron photometry on common-PSF mosaics. The JADES DR5 catalogs supersede previous JADES photometric releases, and are publicly released through the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes and an interactive web interface.

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arXiv2026

JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) Data Release 5: Catalogs of inferred morphological properties of galaxies from JWST/NIRCam imaging in GOODS-N and GOODS-S

We present morphological parameters and their uncertainties for all sources detected in JWST/NIRCam imaging in GOODS-N and GOODS-S from the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) catalogs. We model the surface brightness profiles of these sources with single-component Sérsic profiles, performing Bayesian inference of galaxy structural parameters. We fit each of the $>10^5$ sources with every available JWST/NIRCam wide-band filter individually, amounting to over 3 million Sérsic profiles computed. We provide catalogs of this morphological information, building one of the largest extragalactic morphological datasets to date, which we share alongside imaging and photometry from the JADES Data Release 5. With this information, we analyze the rest-frame optical redshift evolution of the effective radius and the surface luminosity density within a radius of 1 kiloparsec, $Σ_{\text{1 kpc}}$, for 24,692 galaxies at $z>1$. We find $r_{\text{eff}} \propto (1+z)^{-0.635 \pm 0.013}$ kpc, while $Σ_{\text{1 kpc}}$ is relatively constant across time. Additionally, we explore bulge-disk decomposition on a subset of 8,390 galaxies in the JADES deep imaging covering the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, finding the effective radius of the bulge-components to increase marginally with time, whereas the disk-component sizes evolve as $r_{\text{eff,disk}} \propto (1+z)^{-1.091 \pm 0.043}$. Future work modeling multi-component surface brightness profiles will enable further analysis of the morphological evolution of galaxies across cosmic time.

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arXiv2026

JADES: Discovery of Large Reservoirs of Small Dust Grains in the Circumgalactic Medium of Massive Galaxies at $z\sim3.5$ through Deep JWST/NIRCam Imaging and Grism Spectroscopy

Using JWST NIRCam imaging and grism spectroscopy from the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) Origins Fields, we report spectroscopic redshift measurements of 1,445 emission-line galaxies at $z=0-9$. Within this sample, we identify two prominent galaxy protoclusters at $z = 3.47$ and 3.69, each anchored by massive dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs). In the vicinity of these systems, we discover seven background galaxies at $z=3.6 - 6$ that simultaneously exhibit strong rest-frame optical emission lines (e.g., [O III] and H$α$) and unusually reddened UV-to-optical continua. We attribute this reddening to dust extinction arising from the circumgalactic medium (CGM) of the foreground DSFGs at projected separations of 7-30 kpc. We infer a high dust column density ($\gtrsim 10^{-1}$ Msun/kpc^2), substantially exceeding those measured in low-redshift halos and those predicted by hydrodynamical simulations like IllustrisTNG and FIRE-2. The steep extinction curves, comparable to or steeper than that of the SMC, indicate a dominant population of small dust grains in the high-redshift CGM. We conclude that DSFGs at this epoch host large reservoirs of dusty CGM enriched to solar metallicity. These extended dust components are largely invisible to (sub-)millimeter interferometers such as ALMA because of their low surface brightness. We discuss the physical processes in dust transport that might be key to reproducing our observations, including galaxy mergers, cool-phase gas outflows, dust shattering, sputtering and radiation pressure. Finally, we caution that foreground CGM dust extinction may redden background galaxies at intermediate redshifts to mimic Lyman-break galaxies at $z\gtrsim10$.

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arXiv2026

JADES: Rest-frame UV-to-NIR Size Evolution of Massive Quiescent Galaxies from Redshift z=5 to z=0.5

We present the UV-to-NIR size evolution of a sample of 161 quiescent galaxies (QGs) with $M_*>10^{10}M_\odot$ over $0.5 10^{10.6}M_\odot$. To constrain the physical mechanisms driving the apparent size evolution, we study the relationship between $R_e$ and the formation redshift ($z_{form}$) of QGs. For lower-mass QGs, this relationship is broadly consistent with $R_e\sim(1+z_{form})^{-1}$, in line with the expectation of the progenitor effect. For higher-mass QGs, the relationship between $R_e$ and $z_{form}$ depends on stellar age. Older QGs have a steeper relationship between $R_e$ and $z_{form}$ than that expected from the progenitor effect alone, suggesting that mergers and/or post-quenching continuous gas accretion drive additional size growth in very massive systems. We find that the $z>3$ QGs in our sample are very compact, with mass surface densities $Σ_e\gtrsim10^{10} M_\odot/\rm{kpc}^2$, and their $R_e$ are possibly even smaller than anticipated from the size evolution measured for lower-redshift QGs. Finally, we take a close look at the structure of GS-9209, one of the earliest confirmed massive QGs at $z_{spec}\sim4.7$. From UV to NIR, GS-9209 becomes increasingly compact, and its light profile becomes more spheroidal, showing that the color gradient is already present in this earliest massive QG.

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