arXiv subjects

R. Smit

Publications and source records attributed to R. Smit.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Reionization Era Bright Emission Line Survey: Selection and Characterization of Luminous Interstellar Medium Reservoirs in the z>6.5 Universe

The Reionization Era Bright Emission Line Survey (REBELS) is a cycle-7 ALMA Large Program (LP) that is identifying and performing a first characterization of many of the most luminous star-forming galaxies known in the z>6.5 universe. REBELS is providing this probe by systematically scanning 40 of the brightest UV-selected galaxies identified over a 7-deg**2 area for bright 158-micron [CII] and 88-micron [OIII] lines and dust-continuum emission. Selection of the 40 REBELS targets was done by combining our own and other photometric selections, each of which is subject to extensive vetting using three completely independent sets of photometry and template-fitting codes. Building on the observational strategy deployed in two pilot programs, we are increasing the number of massive interstellar medium (ISM) reservoirs known at z>6.5 by ~4-5x to >30. In this manuscript, we motivate the observational strategy deployed in the REBELS program and present initial results. Based on the 60.6 hours of ALMA observations taken in the first year of the program (November 2019 to January 2020), 18 highly significant >~7sigma [CII] lines have already been discovered, the bulk of which (13/18) also show >~3.3 sigma dust-continuum emission. These newly discovered lines more than triple the number of bright ISM-cooling lines known in the z>6.5 universe, such that the number of ALMA-derived redshifts at z>6.5 already rival Lya redshift discoveries. An analysis of the completeness of our search results vs. star formation rate (SFR) suggests an ~79% efficiency in scanning for [CII] when the SFR(UV+IR) is in excess of 28 M_sol/yr. These new LP results further demonstrate ALMA's efficiency as a "redshift machine", particularly in the epoch of reionization.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Spectroscopic confirmation of a gravitationally lensed Lyman break galaxy at z$_{[CII]}$ = 6.827 using NOEMA

We present the spectroscopic confirmation of the brightest known gravitationally lensed Lyman break galaxy in the Epoch of Reionisation, A1703-zD1, through the detection of [C II] at a redshift of z = 6.8269 +/- 0.0004. This source was selected behind the strong lensing cluster Abell 1703, with an intrinsic L$_{UV}$ ~ L$^*$$_{z=7}$ luminosity and a very blue Spitzer/IRAC [3.6]-[4.5] colour, implying high equivalent width line emission of [O III]+H$β$. [C II] is reliably detected at 6.1$σ$ co-spatial with the rest-frame UV counterpart, showing similar spatial extent. Correcting for the lensing magnification, the [C II] luminosity in A1703-zD1 is broadly consistent with the local L$_{[CII]}$ - SFR relation. We find a clear velocity gradient of 103 +/- 22 km/s across the source which possibly indicates rotation or an ongoing merger. We furthermore present spectral scans with no detected [C II] above 4.6$σ$ in two unlensed Lyman break galaxies in the EGS-CANDELS field at z ~ 6.6 - 6.9. This is the first time that NOEMA has been successfully used to observe [C II] in a 'normal' star-forming galaxy at z > 6, and our results demonstrate its capability to complement ALMA in confirming galaxies in the Epoch of Reionisation.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

The ALMA REBELS Survey: the dust content of $z \sim 7$ Lyman Break Galaxies

We include a fully coupled treatment of metal and dust enrichment into the Delphi semi-analytic model of galaxy formation to explain the dust content of 13 Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) detected by the Atacama Large millimetre Array (ALMA) REBELS Large Program at $z\simeq 7$. We find that the galaxy dust mass, $M_d$, is regulated by the combination of SNII dust production, astration, shock destruction, and ejection in outflows; grain growth (with a standard timescale $τ_0= 30$ Myr) plays a negligible role. The model predicts a dust-to-stellar mass ratio of $\sim 0.07-0.1\%$ and a UV-to-total star formation rate relation such that $log (ψ_{\rm UV}) = -0.05 ~[log (ψ)]^{2} + 0.86 ~log(ψ) -0.05$ (implying that 55-80\% of the star formation is obscured) for REBELS galaxies with stellar mass $M_* = 10^{9-10} M_\odot$. This relation reconciles the intrinsic UV luminosity of LBGs with their observed luminosity function at $z=7$. However, 2 out of the 13 systems show dust-to-stellar mass ratios ($\sim 0.94-1.1\%$) that are up to $18\times$ larger than expected from the fiducial relation. Due to the physical coupling between dust and metal enrichment, even decreasing $τ_0$ to very low values (0.3 Myr) only increases the dust-to-stellar mass ratio by a factor $ \sim 2$. Given that grain growth is not a viable explanation for such high observed ratios of the dust-to-stellar mass, we propose alternative solutions.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

The ALMA REBELS Survey. Epoch of Reionization giants: properties of dusty galaxies at $z \approx 7$

We analyse FIR dust continuum measurements for 14 galaxies ($z\approx 7$) in the ALMA REBELS LP to derive their physical properties. Our model uses three input data: (a) the UV spectral slope, $β$, (b) the observed UV continuum flux at $1500$A, $F_{\rm UV}$, (c) the observed continuum flux at $\approx 158μ$m, $F_{158}$, and considers Milky Way (MW) and SMC extinction curves, along with different dust geometries. We find that REBELS galaxies have (28-90.5)% of their star formation obscured; the total (UV+IR) star formation rates are in the range $31.5 < {\rm SFR}/ (M_\odot {\rm yr}^{-1}) < 129.5$. The sample-averaged dust mass and temperature are $(1.3\pm 1.1)\times 10^7 M_\odot$ and $52 \pm 11$ K, respectively. In some galaxies dust is abundant (REBELS-14, $M'_d \approx 3.4 \times 10^7 M_\odot$), or hot (REBELS-18, $T'_d \approx 67$ K). The dust distribution is compact ($<0.3$ kpc for 70% of the galaxies). The dust yield per supernova is $0.1 \le y_d/M_\odot \le 3.3$, with 70% of the galaxies requiring $y_d < 0.25 M_\odot$. Three galaxies (REBELS-12, 14, 39) require $y_d > 1 M_\odot$. With the SFR predicted by the model and a MW extinction curve, REBELS galaxies detected in [CII] nicely follow the local $L_{\rm CII}-$SFR relation, and are approximately located on the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation. The sample-averaged gas depletion time is of $0.11\, y_P^{-2}$ Gyr, where $y_P$ is the ratio of the gas-to-stellar distribution radius. For some systems a solution simultaneously matching the observed ($β, F_{\rm UV}, F_{158}$) values cannot be found. This occurs when the index $I_m = (F_{158}/F_{\rm UV})/(β-β_{\rm int})$, where $β_{\rm int}$ is the intrinsic UV slope, exceeds $I_m^*\approx 1120$ for a MW curve. For these objects we argue that the FIR and UV emitting regions are not co-spatial, questioning the use of the IRX-$β$ relation.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

The REBELS ALMA Survey: cosmic dust temperature evolution out to z $\sim$ 7

ALMA observations have revealed the presence of dust in the first generations of galaxies in the Universe. However, the dust temperature $T_d$ remains mostly unconstrained due to the few available FIR continuum data at redshift $z>5$. This introduces large uncertainties in several properties of high-$z$ galaxies, namely their dust masses, infrared luminosities, and obscured fraction of star formation. Using a new method based on simultaneous [CII] 158$μ$m line and underlying dust continuum measurements, we derive $T_ d$ in the continuum and [CII] detected $z\approx 7$ galaxies in the ALMA Large Project REBELS sample. We find $39\ \mathrm{K} < T_d < 58\ \mathrm{K}$, and dust masses in the narrow range $M_d = (0.9-3.6)\times 10^7 M_{\odot}$. These results allow us to extend for the first time the reported $T_d(z)$ relation into the Epoch of Reionization. We produce a new physical model that explains the increasing $T_ d(z)$ trend with the decrease of gas depletion time, $t_{dep}=M_g/\mathrm{SFR}$, induced by the higher cosmological accretion rate at early times; this hypothesis yields $T_d \propto (1+z)^{0.4}$. The model also explains the observed $T_d$ scatter at a fixed redshift. We find that dust is warmer in obscured sources, as a larger obscuration results in more efficient dust heating. For UV-transparent (obscured) galaxies, $T_d$ only depends on the gas column density (metallicity), $T_d \propto N_H^{1/6}$ ($T_d \propto Z^{-1/6}$). REBELS galaxies are on average relatively transparent, with effective gas column densities around $N_H \simeq (0.03-1)\times 10^{21} \mathrm{cm}^{-2}$. We predict that other high-$z$ galaxies (e.g. MACS0416-Y1, A2744-YD4), with estimated $T_d \gg 60$ K, are significantly obscured, low-metallicity systems. In fact $T_d$ is higher in metal-poor systems due to their smaller dust content, which for fixed $L_{ IR}$ results in warmer temperatures.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

The Prevalence of Galaxy Overdensities Around UV-Luminous Lyman $\mathbfα$ Emitters in the Epoch of Reionization

Before the end of the epoch of reionization, the Hydrogen in the Universe was predominantly neutral. This leads to a strong attenuation of Ly$α$ lines of $z\gtrsim6$ galaxies in the intergalactic medium. Nevertheless, Ly$α$ has been detected up to very high redshifts ($z\sim9$) for several especially UV luminous galaxies. Here, we test to what extent the galaxy's local environment might impact the Ly$α$ transmission of such sources. We present an analysis of dedicated Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging in the CANDELS/EGS field to search for fainter neighbours around three of the most UV luminous and most distant spectroscopically confirmed Ly$α$ emitters: EGS-zs8-1, EGS-zs8-2 and EGSY-z8p7 at $z_\mathrm{spec}=7.73$, 7.48, and 8.68, respectively. We combine the multi-wavelength HST imaging with Spitzer data to reliably select $z\sim7-9$ galaxies around the central, UV-luminous sources. In all cases, we find a clear enhancement of neighbouring galaxies compared to the expected number in a blank field (by a factor $\sim 3-9\times$). Our analysis thus reveals ubiquitous overdensities around luminous Ly$α$ emitting sources in the heart of the cosmic reionization epoch. We show that our results are in excellent agreement with expectations from the Dragons simulation, confirming the theoretical prediction that the first ionized bubbles preferentially formed in overdense regions. JWST follow-up observations of the neighbouring galaxies identified here will be needed to confirm their physical association and to map out the ionized regions produced by these sources.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

Normal, Dust-Obscured Galaxies in the Epoch of Reionization

Over the past decades, rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) observations have provided large samples of UV luminous galaxies at redshift (z) greater than 6, during the so-called epoch of reionization. While a few of these UV identified galaxies revealed significant dust reservoirs, very heavily dust-obscured sources at these early times have remained elusive. They are limited to a rare population of extreme starburst galaxies, and companions of rare quasars. These studies conclude that the contribution of dust-obscured galaxies to the cosmic star formation rate density at $z>6$ is sub-dominant. Recent ALMA and Spitzer observations have identified a more abundant, less extreme population of obscured galaxies at $z=3-6$. However, this population has not been confirmed in the reionization epoch so far. Here, we report the discovery of two dust-obscured star forming galaxies at $z=6.6813\pm0.0005$ and $z=7.3521\pm0.0005$. These objects are not detected in existing rest-frame UV data, and were only discovered through their far-infrared [CII] lines and dust continuum emission as companions to typical UV-luminous galaxies at the same redshift. The two galaxies exhibit lower infrared luminosities and star-formation rates than extreme starbursts, in line with typical star-forming galaxies at $z\sim7$. This population of heavily dust-obscured galaxies appears to contribute 10-25 per cent to the $z>6$ cosmic star formation rate density.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

Heat capacity of anisotropic Heisenberg antiferromagnet within the spin Hartree-Fock approach in quasi-1D Regime

We study the anisotropic quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnet for spin-1/2 that interpolates smoothly between the one-dimensional (1D) and the two-dimensional (2D) limits. Using the spin Hartree-Fock approach we construct a quantitative theory of heat capacity in the quasi-1D regime with a finite coupling between spin chains. This theory reproduces closely the exact result of Bethe Ansatz in the 1D limit and does not produces any spurious phase transitions for any anisotropy in the quasi-1D regime at finite temperatures in agreement with the Mermin-Wagner theorem. We study the static spin-spin correlation function in order to analyse the interplay of lattice geometry and anisotropy in these systems. We compare the square and triangular lattice. For the latter we find that there is a quantum transition point at an intermediate anisotropy of $\sim0.6$. This quantum phase transition establishes that the quasi-1D regime extends upto a particular point in this geometry. For the square lattice the change from the 1D to 2D occurs smoothly as a function of anisotropy, i.e. it is of the crossover type. Comparing the newly developed theory to the available experimental data on the heat capacity of $\rm{Cs}_2\rm{CuBr}_4$ and $\rm{Cs}_2\rm{CuCl}_4$ we extract the microscopic constants of the exchange interaction that previously could only be measured using inelastic neutron scattering in high magnetic fields.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Newly Discovered Bright z~9-10 Galaxies and Improved Constraints on Their Prevalence Using the Full CANDELS Area

We report the results of an expanded search for z~9-10 candidates over the ~883 arcmin^2 CANDELS+ERS fields. This study adds 147 arcmin^2 to the search area we consider over the CANDELS COSMOS, UDS, and EGS fields, while expanding our selection to include sources with bluer J_{125}-H_{160} colors than our previous J_{125}-H_{160}>0.5 mag selection. In searching for new z~9-10 candidates, we make full use of all available HST, Spitzer/IRAC, and ground-based imaging data. As a result of our expanded search and use of broader color criteria, 3 new candidate z~9-10 galaxies are identified. We also find again the z=8.683 source previously confirmed by Zitrin+2015. This brings our sample of probable z~9-11 galaxy candidates over the CANDELS+ERS fields to 19 sources in total, equivalent to 1 candidate per 47 arcmin^2 (1 per 10 WFC3/IR fields). To be comprehensive, we also discuss 28 mostly lower likelihood z~9-10 candidates, including some sources that seem to be reliably at z>8 using the HST+IRAC data alone, but which the ground-based data show are much more likely at z<4. One case example is a bright z~9.4 candidate COS910-8 which seems instead to be at z~2. Based on this expanded sample, we obtain a more robust LF at z~9 and improved constraints on the volume density of bright z~9 and z~10 galaxies. Our improved z~9-10 results again reinforce previous findings for strong evolution in the UV LF at z>8, with a factor of ~10 evolution seen in the luminosity density from z~10 to z~8.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2019

The GREATS H$β$+[OIII] Luminosity Function and Galaxy Properties at $\mathbf{z\sim8}$: Walking the Way of JWST

The James Webb Space Telescope will allow to spectroscopically study an unprecedented number of galaxies deep into the reionization era, notably by detecting [OIII] and H$β$ nebular emission lines. To efficiently prepare such observations, we photometrically select a large sample of galaxies at $z\sim8$ and study their rest-frame optical emission lines. Combining data from the GOODS Re-ionization Era wide-Area Treasury from Spitzer (GREATS) survey and from HST, we perform spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting, using synthetic SEDs from a large grid of photoionization models. The deep Spitzer/IRAC data combined with our models exploring a large parameter space enables to constrain the [OIII]+H$β$ fluxes and equivalent widths for our sample, as well as the average physical properties of $z\sim8$ galaxies, such as the ionizing photon production efficiency with $\log(ξ_\mathrm{ion}/\mathrm{erg}^{-1}\hspace{1mm}\mathrm{Hz})\geq25.77$. We find a relatively tight correlation between the [OIII]+H$β$ and UV luminosity, which we use to derive for the first time the [OIII]+H$β$ luminosity function (LF) at $z\sim8$. The $z\sim8$ [OIII]+H$β$ LF is higher at all luminosities compared to lower redshift, as opposed to the UV LF, due to an increase of the [OIII]+H$β$ luminosity at a given UV luminosity from $z\sim3$ to $z\sim8$. Finally, using the [OIII]+H$β$ LF, we make predictions for JWST/NIRSpec number counts of $z\sim8$ galaxies. We find that the current wide-area extragalactic legacy fields are too shallow to use JWST at maximal efficiency for $z\sim8$ spectroscopy even at 1hr depth and JWST pre-imaging to $\gtrsim30$ mag will be required.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2018

Substellar and low-mass dwarf identification with near-infrared imaging space observatories

AIMS: We aim to evaluate the near-infrared colors of brown dwarfs as observed with four major infrared imaging space observatories: the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Euclid mission, and the WFIRST telescope. METHODS: We used the SPLAT SPEX/ISPEX spectroscopic library to map out the colors of the M-, L-, and T-type dwarfs. We have identified which color-color combination is optimal for identifying broad type and which single color is optimal to then identify the subtype (e.g., T0-9). We evaluated each observatory separately as well as the narrow-field (HST and JWST) and wide-field (Euclid and WFIRST) combinations. RESULTS: The Euclid filters perform poorly typing brown dwarfs and WFIRST performs only marginally better, despite a wider selection of filters. WFIRST's W146 and F062 combined with Euclid's Y-band discriminates somewhat better between broad brown dwarf categories. However, subtyping with any combination of Euclid and WFIRST observations remains uncertain due to the lack of medium or narrow-band filters. We argue that a medium band added to the WFIRST filter selection would greatly improve its ability to preselect brown dwarfs its imaging surveys. CONCLUSIONS: The HST filters used in high-redshift searches are close to optimal to identify broad stellar type. However, the addition of F127M to the commonly used broad filter sets would allow for unambiguous subtyping. An improvement over HST is one of two broad and medium filter combinations on JWST: pairing F140M with either F150W or F162M discriminates very well between subtypes.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2017

Kiloparsec-scale gaseous clumps and star formation at $z=5-7$

We investigate the morphology of the [CII] emission in a sample of "normal" star-forming galaxies at $5<z<7.2$ in relation to their UV (rest-frame) counterpart. We use new ALMA observations of galaxies at $z\sim6-7$ as well as a careful re-analysis of archival ALMA data. In total 29 galaxies were analysed, 21 of which are detected in [CII]. For several of the latter the [CII] emission breaks into multiple components. Only a fraction of these [CII] components, if any, is associated with the primary UV systems, while the bulk of the [CII] emission is associated either with fainter UV components, or not associated with any UV counterpart at the current limits. By taking into account the presence of all these components, we find that the L$_{\rm [CII]}$-SFR relation at early epochs is fully consistent with the local relation, but it has a dispersion of 0.48$\pm$0.07 dex, which is about two times larger than observed locally. We also find that the deviation from the local L$_{\rm [CII]}$-SFR relation has a weak anti-correlation with the EW(Ly$α$). The morphological analysis also reveals that [CII] emission is generally much more extended than the UV emission. As a consequence, these primordial galaxies are characterised by a [CII] surface brightness generally much lower than expected from the local ${\rm Σ_{[CII}-Σ_{SFR}}$ relation. These properties are likely a consequence of a combination of different effects, namely: gas metallicity, [CII] emission from obscured star-forming regions, strong variations of the ionisation parameter, and circumgalactic gas in accretion or ejected by these primeval galaxies.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2017

ALMA detection of extended [CII] emission in Himiko at z=6.6

Himiko is one of the most luminous Lyα emitters at z = 6.595. It has three star forming clumps detected in the rest-frame UV, with a total SFR = 20 M$_\odot$/yr. We report the ALMA detection of the [CII]158$μ$m line emission in this galaxy with a significance of 9$σ$. The total [CII] luminosity (L[CII]= (1.2$\pm$0.2)$\times$10$^{8}$ L$_{\odot}$) is fully consistent with the local L[CII]-SFR relation. The ALMA high-angular resolution reveals that the [CII] emission is made of two distinct components. The brightest [CII] clump is extended over 4 kpc and is located on the peak of the Lyα nebula, which is spatially offset by 1 kpc relative to the brightest UV clump. The second [CII] component is spatially unresolved (size $<$2 kpc) and coincident with one of the three UV clumps. While the latter component is consitent with the local L[CII]-SFR relation, the other components are scattered above and below the local relation. We shortly discuss the possible origin of the [CII] components and their relation with the star forming clumps traced by the UV emission.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2016

The Bright End of the z~9 and z~10 UV Luminosity Functions using all five CANDELS Fields

The deep, wide-area (~800-900 arcmin**2) near-infrared/WFC3/IR + Spitzer/IRAC observations over the CANDELS fields have been a remarkable resource for constraining the bright end of high redshift UV luminosity functions (LFs). However, the lack of HST 1.05-micron observations over the CANDELS fields has made it difficult to identify z~9-10 sources robustly, since such data are needed to confirm the presence of an abrupt Lyman break at 1.2 microns. We report here on the successful identification of many such z~9-10 sources from a new HST program (z9-CANDELS) that targets the highest-probability z~9-10 galaxy candidates with observations at 1.05 microns, to search for a robust Lyman-break at 1.2 microns. The potential z~9-10 candidates are preselected from the full HST, Spitzer/IRAC S-CANDELS observations, and the deepest-available ground-based optical+near-infrared observations. We identified 15 credible z~9-10 galaxies over the CANDELS fields. Nine of these galaxies lie at z~9 and 5 are new identifications. Our targeted follow-up strategy has proven to be very efficient in making use of scarce HST time to secure a reliable sample of z~9-10 galaxies. Through extensive simulations, we replicate the selection process for our sample (both the preselection and follow-up) and use it to improve current estimates for the volume density of bright z~9 and z~10 galaxies. The volume densities we find are 5(-2)(+3)x and 8(-3)(+9)x lower, respectively, than found at z~8. When compared with the best-fit evolution (i.e., dlog_{10} rho(UV)/dz=-0.29+/-0.02) in the UV luminosities densities from z~8 to z~4 integrated to 0.3L*(z=3) (-20 mag), these luminosity densities are 2.6(-0.9)(+1.5)x and 2.2(-1.1)(+2.0)x lower, respectively, than the extrapolated trends. Our new results are broadly consistent with the "accelerated evolution" scenario at z>8, as seen in many theoretical models.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2016

The Lyman-Continuum Photon Production Efficiency xi_{ion} of z~4-5 Galaxies from IRAC-based Halpha Measurements: Implications for the Escape Fraction and Cosmic Reionization

Galaxies represent one of the preferred candidate sources to drive the reionization of the universe. Even as gains are made in mapping the galaxy UV luminosity density to z>6, significant uncertainties remain regarding the conversion to the implied ionizing emissivity. The relevant unknowns are the Lyman-continuum (LyC) photon production efficiency xi_{ion} and the escape fraction f_{esc}. As we show here, the first of these unknowns is directly measureable in z=4-5 galaxies, based on the impact the Halpha line has on the observed IRAC fluxes. By computing a LyC photon production rate from the implied Halpha luminosities for a broad selection of z=4-5 galaxies and comparing this against the dust-corrected UV-continuum luminosities, we provide the first-ever direct estimates of the LyC photon production efficiency xi_{ion} for the z>~4 galaxy population. We find log_{10} xi_{ion}/[Hz/ergs] to have a mean value of 25.27_{-0.03}^{+0.03} and 25.34_{-0.02}^{+0.02} for sub-L* z=4-5 galaxies adopting Calzetti and SMC dust laws, respectively. Reassuringly, both values are consistent with standardly assumed xi_{ion}'s in reionization models, with a slight preference for higher xi_{ion}'s (by ~0.1 dex) adopting the SMC dust law. A modest ~0.03-dex increase in these estimates would result if the escape fraction for ionizing photons is non-zero and galaxies dominate the ionizing emissivity at z~4.4. High values of xi_{ion} (~25.5-25.8 dex) are derived for the bluest galaxies (beta<-2.3) in our samples, independent of dust law and consistent with results for a z=7.045 galaxy. Such elevated values of xi_{ion} would have important consequences, indicating that f_{esc} cannot be in excess of 13% unless the galaxy UV luminosity function does not extend down to -13 mag or the clumping factor is greater than 3. A low escape fraction would fit well with the low rate of LyC leakage observed at z~3.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2016

Z > 7 galaxies with red Spitzer/IRAC [3.6]-[4.5] colors in the full CANDELS data set: the brightest-known galaxies at Z ~ 7-9 and a probable spectroscopic confirmation at Z=7.48

We identify 4 unusually bright (H < 25.5) galaxies from HST and Spitzer CANDELS data with probable redshifts z ~ 7-9. These identifications include the brightest-known galaxies to date at z > 7.5. As Y-band observations are not available over the full CANDELS program to perform a standard Lyman-break selection of z > 7 galaxies, we employ an alternate strategy using deep Spitzer/IRAC data. We identify z ~ 7.1 - 9.1 galaxies by selecting z >~ 6 galaxies from the HST CANDELS data that show quite red IRAC [3.6]-[4.5] colors, indicating strong [OIII]+Hbeta lines in the 4.5 micron band. This selection strategy was validated using a modest sample for which we have deep Y-band coverage, and subsequently used to select the brightest z > 7 sources. Applying the IRAC criteria to all HST-selected optical-dropout galaxies over the full ~900 arcmin**2 of the CANDELS survey revealed four unusually bright z ~ 7.1, 7.6, 7.9 and 8.6 candidates. The median [3.6]-[4.5] color of our selected z ~ 7.1-9.1 sample is consistent with rest-frame [OIII]+Hbeta EWs of ~1500A, in the [4.5] band. Keck/MOSFIRE spectroscopy has been independently reported for two of our selected sources, showing Ly-alpha at redshifts of 7.7302+/-0.0006 and 8.683^+0.001_-0.004, respectively. We present similar Keck/MOSFIRE spectroscopy for a third selected galaxy with a probable 4.7sigma Ly-alpha line at z_spec=7.4770+/-0.0008. All three have H-band magnitudes of ~25 mag and are ~0.5 mag more luminous (M(UV) ~ -22.0) than any previously discovered z ~ 8 galaxy, with important implications for the UV LF. Our 3 brightest, highest redshift z > 7 galaxies all lie within the CANDELS EGS field, providing a dramatic illustration of the potential impact of field-to-field variance.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2016

A Remarkably Luminous Galaxy at z=11.1 Measured with Hubble Space Telescope Grism Spectroscopy

We present Hubble WFC3/IR slitless grism spectra of a remarkably bright $z\gtrsim10$ galaxy candidate, GN-z11, identified initially from CANDELS/GOODS-N imaging data. A significant spectroscopic continuum break is detected at $λ=1.47\pm0.01~μ$m. The new grism data, combined with the photometric data, rule out all plausible lower redshift solutions for this source. The only viable solution is that this continuum break is the Ly$α$ break redshifted to ${z_\mathrm{grism}=11.09^{+0.08}_{-0.12}}$, just $\sim$400 Myr after the Big Bang. This observation extends the current spectroscopic frontier by 150 Myr to well before the Planck (instantaneous) cosmic reionization peak at z~8.8, demonstrating that galaxy build-up was well underway early in the reionization epoch at z>10. GN-z11 is remarkably and unexpectedly luminous for a galaxy at such an early time: its UV luminosity is 3x larger than L* measured at z~6-8. The Spitzer IRAC detections up to 4.5 $μ$m of this galaxy are consistent with a stellar mass of ${\sim10^{9}~M_\odot}$. This spectroscopic redshift measurement suggests that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be able to similarly and easily confirm such sources at z>10 and characterize their physical properties through detailed spectroscopy. Furthermore, WFIRST, with its wide-field near-IR imaging, would find large numbers of similar galaxies and contribute greatly to JWST's spectroscopy, if it is launched early enough to overlap with JWST.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

Mean Halpha+[NII]+[SII] EW Inferred for Star-Forming Galaxies at z=5.1-5.4 Using High-Quality Spitzer/IRAC Photometry

Recent Spitzer/InfraRed Array Camera (IRAC) photometric observations have revealed that rest-frame optical emission lines contribute signficantly to the broadband fluxes of high-redshift galaxies. Specifically, in the narrow redshift range z~5.1-5.4 the [3.6]-[4.5] color is expected to be very red, due to contamination of the 4.5-micron band by the dominant Halpha line, while the 3.6-micron filter is free of nebular emission lines. We take advantage of new reductions of deep Spitzer/IRAC imaging over the GOODS-North+South fields (Labbe+2015) to obtain a clean measurement of the mean Halpha equivalent width from the [3.6]-[4.5] color in the redshift range z=5.1-5.4. The selected sources either have measured spectroscopic redshifts (13 sources) or lie very confidently in the redshift range z=5.1-5.4 based on the photometric redshift likelihood intervals (11 sources). Our z_{phot}=5.1-5.4 sample and z_{spec}=5.10-5.40 spectroscopic sample have a mean [3.6]-[4.5] color of 0.31+/-0.05 mag and 0.35+/-0.07 mag, implying a rest-frame equivalent width EW(Halpha+[NII]+[SII]) of 665+/-53 Angstroms and 707+/-74 Angstroms, respectively, for sources in these samples. These values are consistent albeit slightly higher than derived by Stark+2013 at z~4, suggesting an evolution to higher values of the Halpha+[NII]+[SII] EW at z>2. Using the 3.6micron band, which is free of emission line contamination, we perform robust SED fitting and find a median specific star formation rate of sSFR = 17_{-5}^{+2} Gyr^{-1}, 7_{-2}^{+1}x higher than at z~2. We find no strong correlation (<2sigma) between the Halpha+[NII]+[SII] EW and the stellar mass of sources. Before the advent of JWST, improvements in these results will come through an expansion of current spectroscopic samples and deeper Spitzer/IRAC measurements.

astro-ph.GA↗