arXiv subjects

Michael W. Topping

Publications and source records attributed to Michael W. Topping.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

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

The AURORA Survey: Multiple Balmer and Paschen Emission Lines for Individual Star-forming Galaxies at z=1.5-4.4. II. Implications for Nebular Dust Corrections, Nebular SFRs, and Differential Reddening

We discuss the implications of the nebular dust attenuation curves derived for 24 galaxies at z=1.5-4.4 with multiple detections of HI Balmer and Paschen recombination emission lines from the JWST/AURORA survey. The total attenuation of Ha is ~0.20 dex larger on average than the values obtained with the commonly adopted combination of the Balmer decrement and the Galactic extinction curve. Nebular-line SFRs and SED-based SFRs are consistent on average when using the MOSDEF attenuation or SMC extinction curves for the latter. The relation between nebular and stellar reddening is consistent with a scenario where the Paschen lines are sensitive to heavily reddened OB associations, while relatively unreddened OB associations contribute significantly to the Balmer line and UV continuum emission. There is a stark contrast between the low Rv (or steepness) of stellar dust attenuation curves and the high Rv (or flatness) of nebular dust attenuation curves. We suggest that the latter could be reflective of a more porous medium established by strong feedback from massive stars. For the youngest galaxy in the sample, the stellar reddening curve is identical to the nebular attenuation curve, in accordance with our expectation that OB associations dominate the stellar continuum emission at all wavelengths for this very young galaxy. Larger samples will be needed to determine whether this conclusion holds for young galaxies in general, and provide further insights into the dust and metals mixing timescale on the scale of HII regions.

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arXiv2026

The JADES Mass-Metallicity and Fundamental Metallicity Relations at $z\gtrsim2$ Using New High-Redshift Metallicity Calibrations

We present measurements of the mass-metallicity relation (MZR) and fundamental metallicity relation (FMR) at $1.4<z<7.0$ using stacked JWST/NIRSpec spectra of 601 star-forming galaxies from the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES). Using the most up-to-date strong-line metallicity calibrations based on high-redshift galaxies, we derive gas-phase metallicities from composite spectra binned by stellar mass, redshift, and star-forming main sequence (SFMS) offset. We find that the MZR slope evolves weakly from $z\sim0$ out to $z\sim5$, with $\gamma\sim0.21\pm0.03$, while the normalization decreases smoothly with redshift at a rate of $d\log(\mathrm{O/H})/dz\sim-0.1$ out to $z\sim4$. Beyond $z\gtrsim5$, the low-mass end continues to decline in metallicity while the high-mass end remains broadly consistent with lower-redshift relations, producing a steeper overall MZR. We additionally find evidence for a shallow anti-correlation between deviations from the MZR and SFMS at fixed stellar mass at $z\sim1.4-5$. This anti-correlation, albeit with weaker SFR coupling than observed locally, suggests that an FMR is already beginning to emerge by $z\sim5$. Comparisons with recent observations and cosmological simulations show broad agreement, though no single simulation simultaneously reproduces the observed slopes and normalizations across all redshifts. Our results support a picture in which bursty star formation and strong stellar feedback increasingly shape the regulation of galaxy growth at high redshift, while also highlighting the need for substantially larger spectroscopic samples to robustly constrain the evolution of galaxy scaling relations at high-redshift.

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arXiv2026

SPURS: Bursty Star Formation in an Extremely Luminous Weak Emission Line Galaxy at $z=9.3$

JWST has revealed a population of super-luminous early galaxies with a volume density in excess of most expectations. The spectra reveal diverse properties: while some reveal strong emission lines characteristic of galaxies in the midst of strong bursts, others show weak emission lines that could reflect old stellar populations, large escape fractions, or post-burst star formation histories. Through the JWST Cycle 4 large program SPURS, we have obtained ultra-deep (29 hr) rest-frame UV spectroscopy of a z=9.3 super-luminous ($M_{\rm UV}=-21.66$) galaxy with large assembled stellar mass (1.6$\times$10$^9$ $M_\odot$) and extremely weak emission lines (H$\beta$ EW $\approx25$~\AA). The strong stellar wind features and rest-optical line ratios suggest the galaxy is already significantly enriched, with a metallicity of 0.4--0.7~Z$_\odot$. The interstellar absorption lines reveal outflows ($v\simeq -161$~km~s$^{-1}$) with a large neutral gas covering fraction, suggesting that the weak emission lines are not due to large escape fractions. The combination of the Balmer break, weak emission lines, and stellar wind features constrains the star formation history, indicating a recent burst of star formation lasting 10--20 Myr followed by a downturn over the last 10~Myr. The observations suggest that $z\gtrsim 9$ weak emission line galaxies such as this source can be explained by stochastic star formation, provided that the downturns in star formation are recent (i.e., <10 Myr prior to observation). The ultra-deep grating spectrum enables the IGM damping wing to be characterized, decoupling the effects of local absorption. The smooth Ly$\alpha$ break indicates that this source, one of the most massive galaxies known at z>9, is likely situated in a small ionized bubble ($0.29_{-0.09}^{+0.11}$~pMpc), as is common at large neutral hydrogen fractions ($\bar{x}_{\rm HI}=0.81_{-0.21}^{+0.14}$).

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arXiv2026

SPURS: Evidence for Clumpy Neutral Envelopes and Ionized IGM Surrounding Little Red Dots in Abell 2744 from Ultra-Deep Rest-UV Spectroscopy

Rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) spectra of Little Red Dots (LRDs) often show Ly$\alpha$ emission. Along with broad Balmer emission, LRDs are expected to produce broad Ly$\alpha$ emission. However, the large column density of neutral gas invoked to explain the Balmer break should significantly redshift and further broaden the Ly$\alpha$ line, making it challenging to detect without sensitive, moderate-resolution spectra. We present ultra-deep (29 hours) G140M JWST/NIRSpec observations covering the rest-UV of two LRDs in Abell2744 from the SPURS Cycle 4 Large Program. One of our targets is Abell2744-QSO1, a gravitationally-lensed LRD at $z=7.04$ with faint UV emission (M$_{\rm UV}=-16.9$), and the other source (UNCOVER-2476) is newly-confirmed at $z=4.02$ with a very bright UV continuum (M$_{\rm UV}=-19.6$). We find that Abell2744-QSO1 has a broad Ly$\alpha$ profile, along with narrow CIV, FeII$\lambda1786$, and OI$\lambda1302$ emission. The Ly$\alpha$ profile suggests an origin similar to the broad H$\alpha$, but the line is considerably less redshifted than expected from existing dense gas models. We show that the line profile can be explained if the dense neutral gas is clumpy, allowing Ly$\alpha$ to escape by scattering off of the clump surfaces. We find that UNCOVER-2476 has narrow [NeIV] emission, indicating either a hard radiation field or shocks. We confirm two close neighbors with Ly$\alpha$ emission around Abell2744-QSO1, indicating it traces a dense environment that may have ionized its surrounding IGM. We suggest that LRDs may preferentially trace bubbles carved by their dense environments, contributing to the prevalence of Ly$\alpha$ in the population.

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arXiv2026

Balmer Decrements and Nebular-Stellar Reddening in JADES Galaxies at $2.7<z<7$

We aim to characterize nebular and stellar reddening in star-forming galaxies as a function of global galaxy properties (stellar mass, SFR, metallicity) at $2.7 < z< 7.0$. We also provide a prescription to convert SED-based $E(B-V)_{\mathrm{star}}$ to $E(B-V)_{\mathrm{gas}}$ when direct measurements of nebular reddening are unavailable. Our results are based on JWST/NIRSpec measurements of both individual spectra, with a sample of 283 galaxies, and composite spectra, including a larger sample of 327 galaxies. We estimate nebular reddening using the Balmer decrement (H$\alpha$/H$\beta$) above $10^{8.5}$ $M_{\odot}$, where the sample is representative. Stellar reddening and SFRs are derived through Prospector SED fitting, while gas-phase metallicities are estimated from strong emission-line ratios. At fixed stellar mass, Balmer decrements remain consistent within uncertainties across our redshift range, indicating that stellar mass primarily determines the overall dust column even by $z \sim 7$. We find that differential reddening ($\Delta E(B-V) \equiv E(B-V)_{\mathrm{gas}} - E(B-V)_{\mathrm{star}}$) scales linearly with mass and SFR at $z \sim 2.7 - 4.0$, but shows no mass or SFR dependence above $z \sim 4.0$. We find evidence for smaller $\Delta E(B-V)$ above $z \sim 5.0$, suggesting that nebular emission and stellar continuum probe increasingly similar dust columns towards higher redshift. Finally, we find that nebular reddening correlates strongly with metallicity out to $z \sim 5$, whereas the correlation between stellar reddening and metallicity is weaker or absent. Together, these results suggest that both dust mass and geometry play a significant role in shaping the observed reddening of high-redshift galaxies.

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arXiv2026

Emission-line Diagnostics at $z\gtrsim 2$: A Probe of the Ionizing Spectrum and $\alpha$ Enhancement Beyond Cosmic Noon

We analyze several key rest-optical emission-line ratios in a sample of 828 galaxies as well as composite spectra from JADES DR3 in the range $1.4 < z < 7$. These emission-line ratios include: [O III]$\lambda5008$/H$\beta$, [N II]$\lambda 6585$/H$\alpha$, [S II]$\lambda\lambda 6718,6733$/H$\alpha$, [O I]$\lambda 6302$/H$\alpha$, O32, R23, Ne3O2, and RO2Ne3. We find evidence for a harder ionizing spectrum at $z\sim 3.5$ compared to $z\sim 2$ at fixed gas-phase metallicity, resulting in a pronounced shift in the star-forming galaxy locus on the [N II]/H$\alpha$ BPT diagram and the O32 vs. R23 diagram. At $z\gtrsim 3.5$, star-forming galaxies occupy a common locus, indicating that ISM ionizing conditions at fixed gas-phase metallicity do not evolve strongly at these early cosmic times. There is a connection between ISM ionizing conditions and the chemical abundance patterns (i.e., $\alpha$/Fe) in massive stars providing the ionizing radiation field. Therefore, the lack of evolution in ISM ionizing conditions at $z\gtrsim 3.5$, followed by evolution towards a softer ionizing spectrum at fixed nebular metallicity as cosmic time proceeds to $z\sim 2$ and lower redshift mirrors the chemical abundance patterns in Milky Way stars as a function of iron abundance. Our results highlight the diagnostic power of emission-line diagrams in the era of JWST to further our understanding of the ISM conditions into the Epoch of Reionization.

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arXiv2025

The AURORA Survey: The Mass -- Metallicity and Fundamental Metallicity Relations at $z \sim 2.3$ Based Purely on Direct $T_e$ Metallicities

We present new constraints on the Mass -- Metallicity (MZR) and Fundamental Metallicity Relations (FMR) using a sample of 34 galaxies at $1.38\leq~z\leq~3.5$ (median $z=2.28$). These galaxies have direct $T_e$ measurements from [O\sc{iii}]4363\AA~and/or [O\sc{ii}]7320,7331\AA~auroral emission lines detected with \textit{JWST}/NIRSpec as part of the AURORA survey. The detection of both oxygen auroral lines allows for dual-zone direct $T_e$ measurements and expands the dynamic range in $12+\log\mathrm{(O/H)}$ (7.68 to 8.65 dex), stellar mass ($10^{8}$ to $10^{10.4}$ M$_\odot$), and star-formation rate ($1$ to $100$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$) compared to previous direct $T_e$ studies of the high-redshift MZR and FMR. We characterize the $z\sim2$ MZR and find a slope of $0.27\pm0.04$ and normalization of $12+\log\mathrm{(O/H)} = 8.44\pm0.04$ at $10^{10}$ M$_\odot$ with an intrinsic scatter of 0.10 dex, consistent with past strong-line MZR measurements. Comparisons with $z\sim2$ predictions from six simulations reveal that none reproduce our observed MZR normalization evolution between $z\sim0$ and $z\sim2$. This discrepancy suggests current models do not fully capture the chemical enrichment and feedback processes occurring at cosmic noon. However, all 34 galaxies are on or above the star-forming main sequence such that our sample may be biased towards lower $12+\log\mathrm{(O/H)}$ if the FMR persists at $z\sim2$. Correcting for this selection effect would increase O/H by $\approx0.1$ dex at 10$^{9.3}$ M$_\odot$ (the median mass of our sample) bringing our MZR into better agreement with that of \texttt{TNG}. Lastly, we find our $z\sim2.3$ sample is consistent with the $z\sim0$ FMR within 0.1 dex in O/H, indicating that the smooth secular mechanisms regulating chemical enrichment, star formation, stellar mass, and outflows were in place at cosmic noon.

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arXiv2025

The AURORA Survey: Constraining Chemical Enrichment Pathways at Cosmic Noon with Argon Abundances

We present argon abundances from a sample of 46 star-forming galaxies at $z=2-3.5$ from the Assembly of Ultradeep Rest-Optical Observations Revealing Astrophysics (AURORA) program. Although argon is an $\alpha-$element produced by Core Collapse Supernovae (CCSNe), the latest supernova yield models suggest additional argon production and enrichment by Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), unlike other $\alpha-$elements such as oxygen. To study the relationship between argon and oxygen abundances, we construct two median-stacked composite spectra for separate $z=2.0-2.6$ and $z=2.8-3.5$ redshift bins, presenting more representative measurements than previous samples that require individual detection of faint lines. Abundance ratios were determined using an empirical calibration based on the strength of the [ArIII]$\lambda7137$ emission line relative to the [OIII]$\lambda5008$ emission line. With this calibration, we estimate argon abundances (Ar/O) of $0.42^{+0.12}_{-0.10}\mbox{(Ar/O)}_{\odot}$ for the $\langle z \rangle = 2.26$ bin and $0.42^{+0.12}_{-0.11}\mbox{(Ar/O)}_{\odot}$ for the $\langle z \rangle = 3.15$ bin, suggesting minimal SNe Ia and dominant CCSNe enrichment in this sample. Comparison of our abundance measurements of $z\sim 2-3$ AURORA galaxies with chemical evolution modeling of Milky Way stars shows consistency with the Milky Way Bulge component, suggesting a rapid star-formation timescale. However, even larger samples of actively star-forming galaxies with available argon abundances, as well as comparisons between argon abundance and other critical galaxy properties (e.g., sSFR) and models (e.g., one tuned specifically to this redshift range) are needed to draw stronger conclusions on the role of argon in galactic chemical enrichment at Cosmic Noon.

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arXiv2025

The AURORA Survey: Ionizing Photon Production Efficiency with Minimal Nebular Dust Attenuation Systematics

We present ionizing photon production efficiencies (${\xi}_{\rm ion}$) for 63 z=1.5-6.9 star-forming galaxies using precise nebular dust attenuation corrections from the JWST/AURORA survey. A subset of objects within AURORA have individually-determined nebular dust attenuation curves, which vary significantly in shape and normalization, resulting in reduced systematic uncertainty when constraining the total attenuation of H${\alpha}$ luminosity, and thus the intrinsic ionizing output within our sample. We find evidence for positive correlations between ${\xi}_{\rm ion}$ and redshift, equivalent width of [OIII]${\lambda}$5007, and O32=[OIII]${\lambda}$5007/[OII]${\lambda}$3726,3729, and negative correlations between ${\xi}_{\rm ion}$ and stellar attenuation, UV luminosity (L$_{\rm UV}$), stellar mass, and direct-method metallicity. We test alternate dust prescriptions within this sample, and find that the total attenuation is lower when using the commonly-assumed Galactic extinction curve or when assuming that stellar attenuation is equal to nebular attenuation. We also find that assuming either of these alternate dust prescriptions can change the slope of relationships between ${\xi}_{\rm ion}$ and galaxy property, notably inducing a flat trend between ${\xi}_{\rm ion}$ and L$_{\rm UV}$ within AURORA. While the novel nebular dust curves derived from AURORA spectroscopy reveal obscured ionizing photon production within star-forming galaxies at these redshifts, a more complete understanding of stellar attenuation is required to fully reduce dust systematics on ${\xi}_{\rm ion}$ for inclusion in reionization models.

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arXiv2025

The Star-forming Main Sequence and Bursty Star-formation Histories at $z>1.4$ in JADES and AURORA

We analyze JWST spectroscopic and HST+JWST photometric observations of 659 star-forming galaxies at $1.4<z<9$ from DR3 of the JADES survey and the AURORA Cycle 1 program. We measure the star-forming main sequence (SFMS) for galaxies above $10^{8.5}\rm\ M_\odot$ where the sample is largely representative, estimating star-formation rates (SFRs) using the H$\alpha$ line flux and rest-frame far UV (1600\AA) continuum measurements, each independently corrected for dust attenuation. We find that the intrinsic, measurement-error-subtracted scatter in the SFMS ($\sigma_{\rm int}$) increases with decreasing stellar mass for the H$\alpha$-based SFMS, and we find no mass dependence of $\sigma_{\rm int}$ in the UV-based SFMS. Additionally, we find that $\sigma_{\rm int}$ decreases with increasing redshift, from $0.36^{+0.02}_{-0.02}$ dex to $0.22^{+0.08}_{-0.07}$ dex (H$\alpha$ SFMS), and from $0.28^{+0.02}_{-0.02}$ dex to $0.20^{+0.08}_{-0.07}$ dex (UV SFMS) between $z\sim2$ and $z\sim 6.5$. We also measure the redshift evolution of the specific SFR and find that, assuming $\rm sSFR\propto (1+z)^\gamma$, $\gamma=1.89^{+0.16}_{-0.15}$ for the H$\alpha$-based SFMS, and $\gamma=1.36^{+0.13}_{-0.13}$ for the UV-based SFMS. Analyzing the observed H$\alpha$/UV luminosity ratios and star-formation histories from the {\sc prospector} fitting code, we find that 41--60\% of the sample is inconsistent with having a constant star-formation history. Finally, we find tentative evidence for shorter SFR burst timescales with increasing redshift based on the distribution of $\rm L_{H\alpha}/\nu L_{\nu,1600}$ vs. $\Delta\rm \log(L_{H\alpha})$. Taken together, these results are consistent with recent theoretical predictions (e.g., the {\sc thesan-zoom} simulations) of bursty star formation in the early Universe and provide valuable constraints for theoretical models of galaxy evolution.

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arXiv2025

Ionization Sources of the Local Interstellar Clouds: Two B-stars, Three White Dwarfs, and the Local Hot Bubble

The dominant sources of photoionizing radiation in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) incident on the exterior of the local interstellar clouds include two nearby early B-type stars, $\epsilon$ CMa ($124\pm2$ pc) and $\beta$ CMa ($151\pm5$ pc), three hot dwarfs, and the local hot bubble (LHB). Line emission (170-912A) from highly ionized metals (Fe, Ne, Mg) in million-degree LHB plasma may be responsible for the elevated ionization fractions of helium ($n_{\rm HeII}/n_{\rm He} \approx 0.4$) compared to hydrogen ($n_{\rm HII} / n_{\rm H} \approx 0.2$) in the local clouds. We update the stellar parameters and ionizing flux for $\beta$ CMa, after correcting the EUV spectra for intervening HI column density, $N_{\rm HI} = 1.9\pm0.1\times10^{18}~{\rm cm}^{-2}$, and its hotter effective temperature, $T_{\rm eff} \approx 25,000$K vs. 21,000K for $\epsilon$ CMa. These two stars produce a combined H-ionizing photon flux $\Phi_{\rm H} \approx 6800\pm1400$ cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ at the external surface of the local clouds. The hot bubble could produce comparable fluxes, $\Phi_{\rm H} =$ 2000-9000 cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$, depending on the amount of metal depletion into dust grains that survive sputtering. The radial velocities and proper motions of $\beta$ CMa and $\epsilon$ CMa indicate that both stars passed within $10\pm1$ pc of the Sun $4.4\pm0.1$ Myr ago, with 100-200 times higher local ionizing fluxes. At that time, the local clouds were likely farther from the Sun, owing to their transverse motion. Over the last few Myr, EUV radiation from these two stars left a wake of highly ionized gas in a hot, low-density cavity produced by past supernova explosions in the Sco-Cen OB association and connected with the LHB.

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arXiv2025

The AURORA Survey: High-Redshift Empirical Metallicity Calibrations from Electron Temperature Measurements at z=2-10

We present detections of auroral emission lines of [OIII], [OII], [SIII], and [SII] in deep JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy for 41 star-forming galaxies at $z=1.4-7.2$ from the AURORA survey. We combine these new observations with 98 star-forming galaxies at $z=1.3-10.6$ with detected auroral lines drawn from the literature to form a sample of 139 high-redshift galaxies with robust electron temperature and direct-method oxygen abundance determinations. This sample notably covers a wider dynamic range in metallicity than previous work, spanning $0.02-0.9$~Z$_\odot$. We calibrate empirical relations between 19 emission-line ratios and oxygen abundance, providing a robust tool set to infer accurate gas-phase metallicities of high-redshift galaxies when auroral lines are not detected. While calibrations based on lines of $\alpha$ elements (O, Ne, S, Ar) appear reliable, we find significant scatter in calibrations involving lines of N driven by a high dispersion in N/O at fixed O/H, suggesting that N-based line ratios are less reliable tracers of the oxygen abundance at high redshift. These new high-redshift calibrations are notably offset from those based on typical $z\sim0$ galaxy and HII region samples, and are better matched by samples of extreme local galaxies that are analogs of high-redshift sources. The new metallicity calibrations presented in this work pave the way for robust studies of galaxy chemical evolution in the early Universe, leading to a better understanding of baryon cycling and galaxy formation from Cosmic Noon through the Epoch of Reionization.

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arXiv2025

Beta Canis Majoris: The Other Major Ionization Source of the Local Interstellar Clouds

Two nearby B-type stars, $\epsilon$ CMa ($124\pm2$ pc) and $\beta$ CMa ($151\pm5$ pc), are important contributors to the photoionization of the local interstellar clouds. At spectral type B1 II-III, $\beta$ CMa is slightly hotter than $\epsilon$ CMa (B2 II-III), but its ionizing flux at Earth is attenuated by a much larger H I column density. At the external surface of the clouds, the two stars produce similar fluxes in the Lyman continuum (LyC). From the $\beta$ CMa angular diameter, bolometric flux, and position on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, we obtain a consistent set of stellar parameters: $T_{\rm eff} = 25,180\pm1120$ K, $\log g = 3.70\pm0.08$, radius $R = 8.44\pm0.56\,R_{\odot}$, mass $M = 13\pm1\,M_{\odot}$, and luminosity $L = 10^{4.41\pm0.06}\, L_{\odot}$. The EUVE-observed fluxes and non-LTE model atmospheres are used to determine the ionizing photon production rate $Q_{\rm H} = 10^{46.0}$ photons s$^{-1}$ and fluxes incident on the local clouds, $\Phi_{\rm HI} \approx 3700$ cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ and $\Phi_{\rm HeI} \approx 110$ cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ in the H I and He I continua. The corresponding photoionization rates are $\Gamma_{\rm HI} \approx 1.5\times10^{-14}$ s$^{-1}$ and $\Gamma_{\rm HeI} \approx 7.3\times10^{-16}$ s$^{-1}$. Within the local cloud, the LyC flux is attenuated by an H I column density $N_{\rm HI} = (1.9\pm0.1)\times10^{18}$ cm$^{-2}$, with optical depth $\tau_{\rm LL} = 12.0\pm 0.6$ at the Lyman limit. The radial velocities and proper motions of $\beta$ CMa and $\epsilon$ CMa indicate that both stars passed within $10\pm1$ pc of the Sun approximately 4.4 Myr ago, with incident ionizing fluxes 180-200 times larger. Their EUV radiation photoionized and heated the tunnel in the local interstellar gas, associated dynamically with past supernova explosions in the Sco-Cen OB association.

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arXiv2025

The AURORA Survey: Robust Helium Abundances at High Redshift Reveal A Subpopulation of Helium-Enhanced Galaxies in the Early Universe

We present the first robust helium (He) abundance measurements in star-forming galaxies at redshifts $1.6\lesssim z\lesssim 3.3$ using deep, moderate-resolution JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy from the AURORA survey. We establish a High$-z$ HeI Sample consisting of 20 galaxies with multiple high-S/N ($>5\sigma$) HeI emission-line detections, including the critical near-infrared $\lambda$10833 line. This is the first study at high redshift leveraging $\lambda$10833 to break degeneracies between temperature, electron density, optical depth, and He$^+$/H$^+$, enabling reliable He abundance determinations in the early universe. We use a custom MCMC framework incorporating direct-method electron temperature priors, extended optical depth ($\tau_{\lambda3890}$) model grids up to densities of $10^6$~cm$^{-3}$, and simultaneous fits of the physical conditions and HeI/HI line ratios to derive ionic He$^+$/H$^+$ abundances. Most of the AURORA galaxies follow the extrapolated $z\sim0$ He/H-O/H trend, indicating modest He enrichment by $z\sim2-3$. However, we identify a subpopulation of four galaxies that exhibit elevated He mass fractions ($\Delta Y>0.03$) without corresponding enhancements in N/O or $\alpha$-elements ($\sim20$% of the sample). This abundance pattern is inconsistent with enrichment from asymptotic giant branch stars, but favors early He enrichment from very massive stars (VMSs; $M\gtrsim100\ M_\odot$), which can eject He-rich, N-poor material via stellar winds and binary stripping in young stellar populations. We speculate that these elevated-He systems may represent an early phase of globular cluster (GC) formation where N enrichment is still lagging behind He production. This work demonstrates the power of JWST multi-line HeI spectroscopy for tracing early stellar feedback, enrichment pathways, and GC progenitor signatures in the high-z universe.

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arXiv2025

The JWST Spectroscopic Properties of Galaxies at $z=9-14$

We characterize the JWST spectra of $61$ galaxies at $z=9-14$, including $30$ newly-confirmed galaxies. We directly compare the $z>9$ spectroscopic properties against $401$ galaxies at $6 9$ galaxies. Our dataset indicates that the emission lines undergo a marked change at $z>9$, with extremely large CIII], H$\beta$, and H$\gamma$ EWs becoming $2-3\times$ more common at $z>9$ relative to $6 9$ galaxies. These results may reflect a larger dispersion in UV luminosity at fixed halo mass and larger baryon accretion rates at $z>9$, although other physical effects may also contribute. We suggest that the shift in star formation conditions explains the prevalence of extreme nebular spectra that have been detected at $z>9$, with hard ionizing sources and nitrogen-enhancements becoming more typical at the highest redshifts. Finally, we identify five $z>9$ spectroscopically confirmed galaxies with red UV colors ($\beta\gtrsim-1.5$), either revealing a small population with moderate dust attenuation ($\tau_V=0.23-0.35$) or very high density nebular-dominated galaxies with hot stellar populations.

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arXiv2025

REBELS-MOSFIRE: Weak CIII] Emission is Typical Among Extremely UV-bright, Massive Galaxies at $z\sim7$

We present Keck/MOSFIRE H-band spectroscopic measurements covering the [CIII]1907, CIII]1909 doublet for a sample of 8 z~7 spectroscopically-confirmed star-forming galaxies drawn from the Reionization Era Bright Emission Line Survey (REBELS). This REBELS-MOSFIRE sample is notable for its bright median UV luminosity (Muv=-22.5 AB) and large median stellar mass (log(Mstar/Msun)=9.2). Although three sources show tentative evidence of a CIII] detection, we obtain no confident detections for any of the 8 REBELS-MOSFIRE sources. The median [CIII]1907+CIII]1909 3-sigma upper limit in equivalent width (EW) for the REBELS-MOSFIRE sample is 6.5 AA, and a stack of their H-band MOSFIRE spectra yields a non-detection with an associated 3-sigma upper limit of 2.6 AA. These upper limits fall significantly below the CIII] EW measured in a composite spectrum of representative z~7 star-forming galaxies, as well as those measured for notable early star-forming galaxies such as GN-z11, GHZ2, GS-z12, and RXCJ2248-ID. The lack of strong CIII] emission can be understood within the context of the stellar populations of the REBELS galaxies, as well as the ionization conditions and gas-phase metallicity implied by rest-frame optical spectroscopic properties ([OIII]+Hb EWs, and [OIII]5007/[OII]3727 and [NeIII]3869/[OII]3727 line ratios). The REBELS-MOSFIRE sample represents the higher-mass, higher-metallicity, lower-excitation tail of the z~7 galaxy population, whose ionizing properties must be fully characterized to constrain the role of star-forming galaxies during cosmic reionization.

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arXiv2025

The JWST/AURORA Survey: Multiple Balmer and Paschen Emission Lines for Individual Star-forming Galaxies at z=1.5-4.4. I. A Diversity of Nebular Attenuation Curves and Evidence for Non-Unity Dust Covering Fractions

We present the nebular attenuation curves and dust covering fractions for 24 redshift z=1.5-4.4 star-forming galaxies using multiple Balmer and Paschen lines from the JWST/AURORA survey. Nebular reddening derived from Paschen lines exceeds that from Balmer lines for at least half the galaxies in the sample when assuming the commonly-adopted Galactic extinction curve, implying the presence of heavily reddened star formation. The nebular attenuation curves exhibit a broad range of normalizations (Rv ~ 3.2-16.4). Motivated by the offsets in reddening deduced from the Balmer and Paschen lines, and the high Rv values for the individual nebular attenuation curves, both of which suggest variations in the dust-stars geometry, we propose a model with a subunity dust covering fraction (fcov). Fitting such a model to the HI recombination line ratios indicates fcov ~ 0.6-1.0. The normalizations of the nebular attenuation curves, Rv, are driven primarily by fcov and the mix of reddened and unreddened OB associations. Thus, the diversity of nebular attenuation curves can be accommodated by assuming dust grain properties similar to that of Milky Way sightlines but with a subunity covering fraction of dust. Integrated measurements of multiple Balmer and Paschen lines can be used to place novel constraints on the dust covering fraction towards OB associations. These, in turn, provide new avenues for exploring the role of dust and gas covering fraction in a number of relevant aspects of high-redshift galaxies, including the impact of stellar feedback on ISM porosity and the escape of Ly-alpha and Lyman continuum radiation.

astro-ph.GA↗