arXiv subjects

S. Carniani

Publications and source records attributed to S. Carniani.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

GA-NIFS: The interplay between feedback and star formation at 3 < z < 9 probed by JWST/NIRSpec IFU

The study of starburst- and AGN-driven feedback is fundamental for understanding the processes that shape galaxy growth, quench star formation, and drive the co-evolution of galaxies and their central black holes. We present a spatially resolved study of six galaxies at $3 < z < 9$, including starburst- and AGN-dominated systems, observed with JWST/NIRSpec IFU in low- ($R \sim 100$) and high-resolution ($R \sim 2700$) mode. Previous analysis of $R \sim 2700$ data revealed ionized outflows in all these galaxies. We explore possible links between outflows and stellar population properties to assess the mechanisms driving galaxy evolution at early epochs. Combining the spatially resolved stellar population analysis with the outflow properties, we find that the most massive galaxies ($M_\star > 5 \times 10^{10} M_\odot$) with strong AGN-driven ionized outflows show evidence of past quenching episodes occurring within the last $\sim 100$--$300$ Myr, mainly in the nuclear regions ($r < 3$ kpc). In contrast, higher-redshift ($z > 5$) and less massive ($M_\star < 10^{10} M_\odot$) starburst galaxies with powerful (starburst-driven) outflows appear to have experienced continuous growth, with no clear sign of quenching. Massive galaxies with weaker outflows do not show evidence of quenching in their history. One massive AGN host (GS20936) shows evidence for a recent ($10$--$30$ Myr) rejuvenation phase, likely fueled by a recent major merger. These results suggest that (AGN-driven) outflows can already play a key role in shaping the SFHs of massive galaxies at early cosmic epochs.

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arXiv2026

No Blue without Red: Evolutionary Properties of Super-Early Galaxies

The discovery of numerous luminous, super-early galaxies at $z>10$ by JWST has revealed a striking diversity in their ultraviolet (UV) properties, ranging from extremely blue, dust-poor systems to a smaller population of significantly reddened sources. We investigate the physical origin of this diversity within the framework of the Attenuation-Free Model (AFM), in which radiation-driven outflows redistribute dust to large galactic radii, reducing the effective attenuation. Applying the model to a sample of 32 spectroscopically confirmed super-early galaxies, we derive their key physical properties, including halo mass, star formation efficiency, metallicity, and outflow extent. We find that these systems reside in massive halos ($\log M/M_\odot \sim 10.7$) and exhibit moderate ($0.01 \lesssim \epsilon_* \lesssim 0.05$) star formation efficiencies, while frequently reaching super-Eddington conditions that trigger powerful outflows. Within this framework, we propose an evolutionary sequence in which galaxies transition from a dust-obscured ``Red Monster'' phase to a UV-bright ``Blue Monster'' phase as outflows clear their central regions. The recently confirmed red galaxy EGS-z11-R0 at $z=11.45$ is naturally interpreted as a system observed during this obscured phase. Compact ($r_e \lesssim 150$ pc) sources are instead difficult to reconcile within AFM; we speculate that their emission is dominated by an AGN. Our results provide a unified interpretation of super-early galaxy properties and highlight the key role of radiation-driven outflows in shaping galaxy evolution at cosmic dawn. Future observations with JWST and ALMA will be essential to test these predictions and further constrain the nature of the earliest galaxies.

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arXiv2026

Little Red and Blue Dots: simply stratified Broad Line Regions

It has been claimed that a fraction of the so-called Little Red Dots (LRDs) are characterised by exponential broad line profiles, which have been ascribed to broadening from electron scattering by an ionised cocoon. In this work, we investigate the H$\alpha$ broad line profiles of 32 AGN, including Little Red Dots (LRDs), Little Blue Dots (LBDs), and X-ray detected sources, using high SNR and resolution spectroscopy. We find that while single Gaussian models are statistically rejected, the exponential model is not universally preferred. Lorentzian and multi-Gaussian profiles provide equally good or superior fits for the majority of the sample, with no statistical preference for exponential profiles in $\sim$60% of cases across all AGN subtypes. There are indications that exponential profiles are preferred more frequently among LBDs, indicating that exponential profiles are not a prerogative of LRDs, which actually seem to more often favour Lorentzian profiles. Furthermore, we demonstrate that exponential wings can emerge naturally from the stratification of BLR clouds in virial motion, without invoking any scattering process. More generally, we also show that stacking multiple broad lines (either from multiple objects, as done in previous works, or from different BLR components within the same object) generally yields an exponential profile, even if none of the individual profiles are exponential. Explaining the exponential profiles in terms of BLR stratification solves various observational tensions with the electron scattering interpretation. While electron scattering may play a role, there is no evidence that it dominates the line profiles and that it significantly affects the inferred black hole masses.

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arXiv2026

The Little Blue and Red Dots Rosetta Stones: Non-Gaussian broad lines, hot dust, and X-ray weakness

The population of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) newly discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) exhibits peculiar properties that distinguish it from both local type I AGN and high-redshift quasars. Most of these sources are compact, appearing as 'little dots': among them, the sub-class (10-30% of the total) characterized by significantly red optical colors has been named 'Little Red Dots' (LRDs), while here we analogously introduce the term 'Little Blue Dots' (LBDs) for the remaining, bluer sources (70-90%). We then present a comparative analysis of the prototypical representatives ('Rosetta Stones') of the two classes: GN-28074 at z=2.26, the Red Rosetta Stone, and GS-3073 at z=5.55, the Blue Rosetta Stone. In both Rosetta Stones the broad Balmer lines are better described by exponential profiles rather than single Gaussians, similarly to normal low-redshift type I AGN, indicating that exponential profiles are not unique to LRDs. They are both extremely X-ray weak, show strong auroral [OIII] 4363 emission, weak hot dust mid-IR emission, and no time variability. However, they differ in terms of excitation diagnostics: the HeII 4686 line is undetected in the Red Rosetta but strongly detected in the Blue Rosetta in both narrow and broad components, with the latter much broader than hydrogen Balmer lines. This supports BLR stratification and disfavors the cocoon electron-scattering scenario. An additional difference is the presence of prominent Balmer absorption in the Red Rosetta -- indicative of extremely dense gas along the line of sight -- but absent in the Blue Rosetta. Taken together, these results suggest that LRDs and LBDs share the same central engine as standard type I AGN, while differing in the amount and geometry of dense gas surrounding the accretion disk, and/or in their accretion properties.

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arXiv2026

GA-NIFS: high prevalence of dusty and metal-enriched outflows in massive and luminous star-forming galaxies at $z\sim3-9$

We present a search for and characterization of ionized outflows in 15 star-forming systems at $z\sim3-9$ with no evidence of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), observed with JWST/NIRSpec IFU as part of the GA-NIFS program. The targets often show satellites and complex substructure, from which we isolate 40 galaxies/regions. The sample probes the high-mass end of the galaxy population, with most sources having log$_{10}$~(M$_\star$/M$_\odot$)=$9.5-11$, extending previous studies on high-z star formation driven outflows that mainly focused on lower-mass galaxies. Using the [OIII]5007 and H$\alpha$ emission lines, we identify broad kinematic components consistent with galactic outflows in 14 galaxies/regions. We find that the outflowing gas is more dust attenuated (by $A_{\rm V}$$\sim0.59$ mag on average) and metal-enriched (0.13 dex) than the interstellar medium (ISM) of the host galaxies, but its velocities are insufficient to escape the galaxies and reach the circumgalactic medium, suggesting that outflows mainly redistribute dust and metals around their hosts. The outflows identified in this study display velocity dispersions within $\sigma_{\rm out}=130-340$~km~s$^{-1}$ and outflow velocities $v_{\rm out}=170-600$~km~s$^{-1}$, and, when combined with less luminous and less massive star-forming galaxies from previous works, reveal a statistically significant correlation between $v_{\rm out}$ and star formation rate (SFR). The typically low mass-loading factors ($\eta=\dot{M}_{\rm out}/SFR$$\leq1$, in 9 out of 14 the outflows) indicate that these outflows do not strongly suppress star formation. Overall, our results suggest that ejective feedback via ionized outflows is inefficient in massive, luminous star-forming galaxies within the first 2 Gyr of the Universe.

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arXiv2025

The accretion of quasars at the epoch of reionisation: $JWST$ catches the primeval monsters slowly feasting

Quasars (QSOs) emit an enormous amount of light as a result of the accretion of gas onto supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Thanks to their luminosity, the most distant known QSOs allow us to trace the growth of SMBHs deep into the epoch of reionisation. In this work, we employed $JWST$/NIRSpec observations of eight luminous (log$(L_{3000\,A^{\circ}}/(erg \, s^{-1}))>$45.7) QSOs at $z\geq$5.9 to constrain their accretion properties, namely black hole mass, accretion disc (AD) luminosity, and Eddington ratio ($M_{BH}$, $L_{AD}$, $\lambda_{Edd}$), by fitting the rest-frame UV and optical emission with different AD models. This method provided self-consistent measurements of both $M_{BH}$ and $L_{AD}$. The uncertainties on $M_{BH}$ and $L_{AD}$, obtained within the AD-modelling framework ($\sigma^{AD}_{M_{BH}}\sim$0.2 dex; $\sigma^{AD}_{L_{AD}}\sim$0.1 dex), are significantly smaller than the systematic uncertainties associated with single-epoch $M_{BH}$ ($\sim$0.4 dex) and $L_{AD}$ derived via bolometric corrections ($\sim$0.2 dex). Based on these results, in our sample we found an average Eddington ratio of $\langle \log(\lambda_{Edd}) \rangle=-0.9$, with a dispersion of $\sim$0.2 dex. Assuming that our high-z QSOs are representative of optically-selected bright blue QSOs, we derive a fraction of systems accreting above the Eddington limit of $\sim$0.2%. In conclusion, this work i) demonstrates the suitability of $JWST$ to test AD models on high-redshift ($z\gtrsim$4) QSOs, thanks to the large NIRSpec spectral coverage; ii) shows that AD modelling can yield robust $M_{\rm BH}$ and $L_{\rm AD}$ measurements, with smaller uncertainties than the typical calibrations; and iii) provides compelling evidence for sub-Eddington accretion in bright high-$z$ QSOs, challenging the widespread paradigm of near- or super-Eddington accretion occurring in these sources.

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arXiv2025

Cosmic Duets I. High-spatial resolution spectroscopy of dual and lensed AGN with MUSE-NFM

We present the first-year results of the MUSE Large Program "Cosmic Duets", whose goal is to obtain adaptive-optics assisted MUSE observations with an angular resolution of 0.1"-0.2" in order to provide integral-field spectroscopy of sub-arcsec separation dual and lensed active galactic nucleus (AGN) candidates. These observations reveal previously unexplored properties of dual and lensed systems that are key to understanding galaxy evolution, supermassive black hole mergers, and strong-lensing modeling. Targets were efficiently selected using the Gaia multipeak (GMP) technique, which identifies pairs of point-like sources with separations below 0.8" in the Gaia catalog. MUSE spatially resolved spectroscopy provides accurate redshifts, ionization diagnostics, and identification of absorption systems along the line of sight. We report results for 30 GMP targets at z=0.5-3.5. All systems show at least 2 spatially resolved components. 19 objects are confirmed as AGN multiplets, including 6 dual AGN, 10 doubly lensed quasars, and 3 quadruply lensed systems, while the remaining 11 correspond to chance alignments with foreground stars. Among all the spectroscopically confirmed dual AGN in the literature, 27 pairs have projected separations below 7kpc in this redshift regime, and our sample accounts for 22% of the total. We studied dual and lensed AGN distributions as a function of redshift, magnitude, and projected separation while accounting for selection effects, and we find that bright systems are dominated by lensed quasars, whereas the relative fraction of dual AGN increases at fainter magnitudes. This first-year sample demonstrates the high efficiency of GMP selection combined with MUSE spectroscopy for identifying sub-arcsec dual and lensed AGN. The full program, targeting 150 systems, will enable statistical studies of dual AGN and constraints on mass distribution in lensing galaxies.

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arXiv2025

A deep X-ray look to the most obscured quasar at z~3.6 and its environment

The most luminous and obscured quasars (QSOs) detected in infrared all-sky surveys could represent a key co-evolutionary phase from nuclear to circum-galactic (CG) scales in the formation of massive galaxies. In this context, Hot Dust Obscured Galaxies (Hot DOGs) at z ~2-4 provide a unique opportunity to study the link between cosmic mass assembly and nuclear accretion in high-z luminous QSOs/galaxies. W0410-0913 (hereafter W0410-09) is a luminous ($\rm ~L_{\rm bol} \sim 6.4 \times10^{47} \rm erg\ s^{-1}$) obscured QSO at z = 3.631, with a 30 kpc CG Ly$\alpha$ nebula (CGLAN), smaller than the ~ 100 kpc nebulae around unobscured Type-I QSOs, and an exceptional overdense environment of ~ 19 Ly$\alpha$ emitters (LAEs) within 300 kpc and $\pm$ 200 $\rm km ~s^{-1}$ of the Hot DOG. We aim to detect and characterize nuclear accretion in W0410-09 and its environment. Exploiting a deep proprietary ~280 ks Chandra observation, using empirical and physically motivated models for obscured sources, we show that W0410-09 exhibits Compton-thick obscuration ($\rm~ N_H > 10^{24} \rm cm^{-2}$) and high intrinsic luminosity ($\rm ~L_{2-10} > 10^{45} \rm erg ~s^{-1}$), making it one of the most luminous obscured QSOs at z $>$ 3.5. With the exclusion of W0410-09 we do not detect X-ray emission from any of the 19 LAEs, except for a 3$\sigma$ signal in the 6-7 keV rest-frame band, interpreted as Fe K$\alpha$ emission, suggesting the presence of heavily obscured yet undetected AGN emission in several LAEs. Including W0410-09, the estimated AGN fraction is $f_{\rm AGN}^{\rm LAE} = 5^{+12}_{-4}$%, potentially up to ~35% if unresolved obscured AGN are considered as suggested by the Fe K$\alpha$ line detection. We conclude that W0410-09 is in a critical transitional blow-out phase, during which powerful QSO-driven outflows are clearing the nuclear obscuration, ultimately leading to an unobscured luminous quasar.

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arXiv2025

JADES Data Release 4 -- Paper II: Data reduction, analysis and emission-line fluxes of the complete spectroscopic sample

We present the fourth data release of JADES, the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey, providing deep spectroscopic observations in the two GOODS fields. A companion paper presents the target selection, spectroscopic redshifts and success rates, and in this paper, we discuss the data reduction and present emission line flux measurements. The spectroscopy in this work consists of medium-depth, deep and ultradeep NIRSpec/MSA spectra of 5,190 targets, covering the spectral range $0.6\text{--}5.5$~\mum and observed with both the low-dispersion prism ($R=30\text{--}300$) and all three medium-resolution gratings ($R=500\text{--}1,500$). We describe the data reduction, analysis and description of the data products included in this data release. In total, we measured 3,297 robust redshifts out of 5,190 targets, spanning a redshift range from $z=0.5$ up to $z=14.2$, including 974 at $z>4$. This data release includes 1-d and 2-d fully reduced spectra with 3 and 5 pixel extractions, with slit-loss corrections and background subtraction optimized for point sources. Furthermore, we provide redshifts and $S/N>5$ emission-line flux catalogues for the prism and grating spectra, as well as new guidelines to use these data products. Lastly, we are launching a new JADES Online Database, designed to enable quick selection and browsing of this data release. Altogether, these data provide the largest statistical sample to date to characterise the properties of galaxy populations across Cosmic time.

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arXiv2025

The WISSH quasar project. XII. X-ray view of the most luminous quasi-stellar objects at Cosmic Noon

To improve our knowledge of nuclear emission in luminous QSOs at Cosmic Noon, we studied the X-ray emission of the WISE/SDSS-selected hyper-luminous (WISSH) QSO sample: 85 broad-line AGN with $L_{bol}>few\times 10^{47}\,erg\,s^{-1}$ at $z\sim 2-4$. Our aim is to characterise their X-ray spectra and explore relations between X-ray luminosity and other bands, comparing powerful QSOs with the general AGN population. We performed spectral analysis for about half of the sample; 16 sources were analysed via their hardness ratio; for the others we estimated their intrinsic luminosity $L_{2-10\,keV}$. Only 8 sources are undetected. We report a large dispersion in $L_{2-10\,keV}$ despite the narrow distribution of $L_{bol}$, $L_{2500\,\r{A}}$ and $\lambda L_{6\,\mu m}$ (about one-third of the sources classified as X-ray weak). This suggests differences in X-ray corona and accretion flow physics between hyper-luminous and less powerful AGN. X-ray photon index distribution is consistent with that of lower-$z$, lower-$L_{bol}$ AGN, and does not depend on the Eddington ratio ($\lambda_{Edd}$) or X-ray weakness. Most WISSH QSOs with intrinsic absorption estimates show little to no obscuration ($N_H \le 5\times 10^{22}\,cm^{-2}$). Among the obscured sources we find blue QSOs without broad absorption lines within the "forbidden region" of the $Log(N_H)-Log(\lambda_{Edd})$ plane, typically occupied by dust-reddened QSOs and associated with intense feedback. We confirm a correlation between $L_{2-10\,keV}$ and CIV line blueshift, a tracer of nuclear ionized outflows. Multi-wavelength data and complete X-ray coverage enabled the investigation of the disk-corona interplay at the highest luminosity regimes. The broad distribution of bolometric correction and X-ray - to - optical index suggest caution when using $L_{bol}$, $L_{2500\,\r{A}}$ or $L_{6\,\mu m}$ as direct X-ray proxy for individual luminous QSOs.

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arXiv2025

Bursting at the seams: the star-forming main sequence and its scatter at z=3-9 using NIRCam photometry from JADES

We present a comprehensive study of the star-forming main sequence (SFMS) and its scatter at redshifts $3 \leq z \leq 9$, using NIRCam photometry from the JADES survey in the GOODS-S and GOODS-N fields. Our analysis is based on a sample of galaxies that is stellar mass complete down to $\log \left(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}\right) \approx 8.1$. The redshift evolution of the SFMS at an averaging timescale of 10 Myr follows a relation, quantified by the specific star-formation rates (sSFR$_{10}$), of $\mathrm{sSFR}\propto(1+z)^{\mu}$ with $\mu = 2.30^{+0.03}_{-0.01}$, in good agreement with theoretical predictions and the specific mass accretion rate of dark matter halos. We find that the SFMS normalisation varies in a complex way with the SFR averaging timescale, reflecting the combined effects of bursty star formation and rising star formation histories (SFHs). We quantify the scatter of the SFMS, revealing that it decreases with longer SFR averaging timescales, from $\sigma_{\rm{int}} \approx 0.4-0.5~\mathrm{dex}$ at 10 Myr to $\sigma_{\rm{int}} \approx 0.2~\mathrm{dex}$ at 100 Myr, indicating that shorter-term fluctuations dominate the scatter, although long-term variations in star formation activity are also present. Our findings suggest that bursty SFHs are more pronounced at lower stellar masses. Furthermore, we explore the implications of our results for the observed over-abundance of UV-bright galaxies at $z > 10$, concluding that additional mechanisms, such as top-heavy initial mass functions, increased star-formation efficiencies, or increased burstiness in star formation are needed to explain these observations. Finally, we emphasize the importance of accurate stellar mass completeness limits when fitting the SFMS, especially for galaxies with bursty SFHs.

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arXiv2025

JADES: Carbon-enhanced, Nitrogen-normal compact galaxy at z=11.2

Over the past few years \textit{JWST} has been a major workhorse in detecting and constraining the metal enrichment of the first galaxies in the early Universe and finding the source of the ionisation of their interstellar medium. In this work, we present new deep JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy of GS-z11-1, a galaxy at z = 11.28, in which we report the detection of multiple rest-frame UV and optical emission lines: CIII]$\lambda\lambda$1907,09, CIV]$\lambda\lambda$1548,51, [OII]$\lambda\lambda$3726,29, [NeIII]$\lambda$3869, H$\gamma$ and tentative evidence for HeII$\lambda$1640. The ionisation properties of GS-z11-1 are consistent with star formation, with potential contribution from an active galactic nucleus (AGN). We estimate a galaxy stellar mass of log(M$_{*}$/M$_{\odot}$) = 7.8$\pm$0.2 and log(SFR/(M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$))= 0.32$\pm$0.11 for the fiducial SF-only models. We measured C/O from the SED modelling of C/O = 1.20$\pm0.15 \times$ solar. This is one of the highest C/O abundances at z$>$10, and it is consistent with either PopII and PopIII enrichment paths. Despite this source being extremely compact, with a half-light radius of 73$\pm$10 pc, we see no increased equivalent width of NIV] and NIII] emission lines as seen in some other compact sources at similar redshifts, a potential signature of second-generation stars in GCs. Overall, this galaxy exhibits low metallicity and high ionisation parameter consistent with intense star-formation or AGN activity in the early Universe, possibly observed before the enrichment by the second generation of stars in proto-globular clusters in the core of the galaxy.

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arXiv2025

MIRACLE II: Unveiling the multi-phase gas interplay in the circumnuclear region of NGC 1365 via multi-cloud modeling

We present a multi-phase study of the gas in the circumnuclear region (~1.1x1.0 kpc^2) of the nearby Seyfert 1.8 galaxy NGC 1365, observed in the context of the Mid-IR Activity of Circumnuclear Line Emission (MIRACLE) program. We combined spatially resolved spectroscopic observations from JWST/MIRI, VLT/MUSE, and ALMA to investigate the ionized atomic gas and the warm and cold molecular phases. MIRI data revealed over 40 mid-IR emission lines from ionized and warm molecular gas. Moment maps show that both cold and warm molecular gas follow the rotation of the stellar disk along the circumnuclear ring. The ionized gas displays flux and kinematic patterns that depend on ionization potential (IP): low-IP species (<25 eV) trace the disk, while higher-IP lines (up to ~120 eV) trace outflowing material. The [O III]5700 and [Ne V]14 lines both trace the southeast nuclear outflow cone. Additionally, [Ne V]14 detects the northwest counter-cone, obscured in the optical and thus invisible in [O III]5700. Mid-IR diagnostics, unlike optical ones, clearly reveal the AGN as the primary ionization source in the nucleus. Emission from high-IP species is spatially coincident with the ionization cones and not with star-forming regions. Using the [Ne V]24/[Ne V]14 ratio, we derive an electron density of (750+-440) cm^(-3), in agreement with values from the [S II] optical doublet. For the first time, we apply a fully self-consistent approach combining advanced photoionization and kinematic models (HOMERUN+MOKA3D) to constrain intrinsic outflow properties, overcoming the limitations of simplified classical methods. Exploiting the synergy of JWST/MIRI and VLT/MUSE, HOMERUN reproduces fluxes of over 60 emission lines from optical to mid-IR, disentangling AGN and star formation contributions and yielding robust estimates of outflow mass, geometry, and energetics.

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arXiv2025

JWST MIRI/MRS observations of hot molecular gas in an AGN host galaxy at Cosmic Noon

Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are believed to play a central role in quenching star formation by removing or destroying molecular gas from host galaxies via radiation-pressure driven outflows and/or radio jets. Some studies of cold molecular gas in galaxies at Cosmic Noon ($z\sim2$) show that AGN have less cold gas ($<$100 K) compared to mass-matched star-forming galaxies. However, cold gas could also be shock-heated to warmer phases, detectable via H$_{2}$ transitions in the rest-frame near- and mid-infrared spectra. The Medium Resolution Spectrograph (MRS) of the Mid-infrared Instrument (MIRI) aboard JWST has opened a unique window to observe these emission lines in galaxies at Cosmic Noon. We present the first detection of hot molecular gas in cid_346, an X-ray AGN at $z\sim2.2$, via the H$_{2}$ ro-vibrational transition at 2.12 $\mu$m. We measure a hot molecular gas mass of $\sim 8.0 \times 10^{5}$ M$_{\odot}$, which is $\sim 10^{5}-10^{6}$ times lower than the cold molecular gas mass. cid_346 is located in an environment with extended gas structures and satellite galaxies. This is supported by detection of hot and cold molecular gas out to distances $>$10 kpc in MIRI/MRS and ALMA data, respectively and ancillary NIRCam imaging that reveals two satellite galaxies at distances of $\sim$0.4 arcsec (3.3 kpc) and $\sim$0.9 arcsec (7.4 kpc) from the AGN. Our results tentatively indicate that while the CO(3-2)-based cold gas phase dominates the molecular gas mass at Cosmic Noon, H$_{2}$ ro-vibrational transitions are effective in tracing hot molecular gas locally in regions that may lack CO emission.

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arXiv2025

GA-NIFS: Mapping $z\simeq3.5$ AGN-driven ionized outflows in the COSMOS field

Active galactic nuclei (AGNi) are a key ingredient in galaxy evolution and possibly shape galaxy growth through the generation of powerful outflows. Little is known regarding AGN-driven ionized outflows in moderate-luminosity AGNi (logLbol[erg/s]<47) beyond cosmic noon (z>3). We present the first systematic analysis of the ionized outflow properties of a sample of X-ray-selected AGNi (logLx[erg/s]>44) from the COSMOS-Legacy field at z~3.5 and with logLbol[erg/s]=45.2-46.7, by using JWST NIRSpec/IFU spectroscopic observations as part of the GA-NIFS program. We spectrally isolated and spatially resolved the ionized outflows, through a multi-component kinematic decomposition of the rest-frame optical emission lines. JWST/NIRSpec IFU data also revealed a wealth of close-by companions, of both non-AGN and AGN nature, and ionized gas streams likely tracing tidal structures and large-scale ionized gas nebulae, extending up to the circumgalactic medium. Ionized outflows are detected in all COS-AGNi targets, which we compared with results from the literature up to z~3, opportunely (re-)computed. We normalized outflow energetics ($\dot{M}_{out}$, $\dot{E}_{out}$) to the outflow density in order to standardize the various assumptions that were made in the literature. Our choice is equal to assuming that each outflow has the same gas density. We find GA-NIFS AGNi to show outflows consistent with literature results, within the large scatter shown by the collected measurements, thus suggesting no strong evolution with redshift in terms of total mass outflow rate, energy budget, and outflow velocity for fixed bolometric luminosity. Moreover, we find no clear redshift evolution of the ratio of mass outflow rate and kinetic power over AGN bolometric luminosity beyond z>1. In general, our results indicate no significant evolution of the physics driving outflows beyond z~3.[abridged]

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arXiv2025

Spatially resolved [CII]-gas conversion factor in early galaxies

Determining how efficiently gas collapses into stars at high-redshift is key to understanding galaxy evolution in the Epoch of Reionization (EoR). Globally, this process is quantified by the gas depletion time ($t_{dep}$); on resolved scales, by the slope and normalization of the Kennicutt-Schmidt (KS) relation. This work explores the global ($\alpha_{[CII]}$) and spatially resolved ($W_{[CII]}$) [CII]-to-gas conversion factors at high-$z$ and their role in inferring reliable gas masses, surface densities, and $t_{dep}$ in the EoR. We select galaxies at 4<z<9 from the SERRA cosmological zoom-in simulation, that features on-the-fly radiative transfer and resolves interstellar medium properties down to $\approx$30 pc. The [CII] emission modelling from photodissociation regions allow us to derive global $\alpha_{ [CII]}$, and maps of $W_{[CII]}$. We study their dependence on gas metallicity (Z), density (n), Mach number (M), and burstiness parameter ($k_s$), and provide best fit relations. The $\alpha_{[CII]}$ decreases with increasing $Z$ and galaxy compactness, while the resolved $W_{[CII]}$ shows two regimes: at $Z< 0.2 Z_\odot$, it anticorrelates with n and Z, but not with $k_s$; above this threshold, it also depends on $k_s$, with more bursty regions showing lower conversion factors. This implies $W_{[CII]}\propto \Sigma_{[CII]}^{-0.5}$, as dense, metal-rich, and bursty regions exhibit higher [CII] surface brightness. Applying a constant $\alpha_{[CII]}$ overestimates $\Sigma_{gas}$ in bright $\Sigma_{[CII]}$ patches, thus flattening the KS slope and overestimating $t_{dep}$ by a factor of $\approx$4.

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arXiv2025

Unveiling the trends between dust attenuation and galaxy properties at z ~ 2 - 12 with the James Webb Space Telescope

A variety of dust attenuation/extinction curves have been observed in high-redshift galaxies, with mixed results regarding their correlations with global galaxy properties. These variations are likely driven by factors such as intrinsic dust properties, total dust content, and the dust-star geometry. In this work, we explore how the shape of dust attenuation curves-quantified by the UV-optical slope (S) and UV bump strength (B)-correlates with galaxy properties. Our goal is to identify the key physical mechanisms shaping attenuation curves through cosmic time. We build on arXiv:2402.05996, analyzing 173 dusty galaxies at z ~ 2-11.5, with attenuation curves inferred via SED fitting of JWST data using a modified version of BAGPIPES (arXiv:2304.11178). We investigate trends between S, B, and properties inferred from SED fitting: AV, SFR, stellar mass (M*), specific SFR (sSFR), mass-weighted stellar age (a*), ionization parameter (U), and metallicity (Z). For a subset, we also consider oxygen abundance (12 + log(O/H)), derived via Te-based methods. We find that lower AV galaxies tend to have steeper slopes and stronger UV bumps, consistent with radiative transfer predictions involving dust geometry and content. S also correlates with a* and sSFR, suggesting that strong radiation fields in young, bursty galaxies may destroy small grains, flattening the slope. B correlates with 12 + log(O/H), possibly due to metallicity-driven dust composition changes. Overall, attenuation curve shapes appear most strongly linked to: (1) redshift (dust evolution), (2) AV (RT effects), (3) a* or sSFR (radiation field), and (4) oxygen abundance (dust composition). Disentangling these effects requires spatially resolved data and theoretical models including dust evolution.

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arXiv2025

MARTA: Temperature-temperature relationships and strong-line metallicity calibrations from multiple auroral-line detections at cosmic noon

We present the first results from MARTA (Measuring Abundances at high Redshift with the T$_e$ Approach), a programme leveraging ultra-deep, medium-resolution JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy to probe the interstellar medium (ISM) of star-forming galaxies at $z \sim 2 - 3$. We report detections of one or more auroral lines, including [O III]$\lambda4363$, [O II]$\lambda\lambda7320,7330$, [S II] $\lambda4068$, and [S III] $\lambda6312$ for 16 galaxies in the sample, providing measurements of multiple ionic temperatures. We tested the validity of the T[O II]-T[O III] relation at high redshift considering a total sample of 21 objects including literature data, and obtained a shallower slope than in the low-$z$ literature. However, such a slope is consistent with low-redshift data when ultra-low metallicity objects are considered. We assessed the correlation of the T[O II]-T[O III] relationship and its scatter on different physical parameters, finding a mild correlation with the ionisation parameter and radiation field hardness, while no significant correlation with gas density. The location of high-redshift data is also consistent with the low-$z$ literature in the T[O II]-T[S II], and T[S III]-T[O III] relations, although this conclusion is limited with low-number statistics. Finally, we leveraged our sample together with a comprehensive compilation of galaxies with [O III]$\lambda4363$ detections from the literature to recalibrate classical strong-line diagnostics at high redshift. MARTA represents a key addition in this space because it provides direct metallicities at moderately high oxygen abundances (12+log(O/H) $\sim8.0-8.4$).

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