arXiv subjects

Zuyi Chen

Publications and source records attributed to Zuyi Chen.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

CLASSY XI: Tracing Neutral Gas Properties using UV Absorption Lines and 21-cm Observations

Rest-frame far-ultraviolet (FUV) observations from JWST are revolutionizing our understanding of the high-z galaxies that drove reionization and the mechanisms by which they accomplished it. To fully interpret these observations, we must be able to diagnose how properties of the interstellar medium (ISM; e.g., column density, covering fraction, outflow velocity) directly relate to the absorption features produced. Using the high-S/N and high-resolution FUV spectra of 45 nearby star-forming galaxies from CLASSY, we present the largest uniform, simultaneous characterization of neutral and low-ionization state (LIS) interstellar UV absorption lines (OI, SiII, SII, CII, AlII) across a wide range of galaxy properties. We also present 21-cm HI observations for 35 galaxies, multiple of which are gas-poor or non-detected, possibly indicating the onset of a post-starburst phase. We find that our simultaneous 1-component Voigt profile fits are capable of accurately modeling the LIS absorption for ~75% of galaxies, mitigating challenges associated with saturation, infilling, and degeneracies. While the most massive galaxies require additional components, our 1-component fits return average properties of the absorbing gas and follow the scaling relations described by a single gas cloud. We explore connections between LIS absorption and direct tracers of the neutral ISM (OI, Ly-alpha, HI 21-cm), finding that CII most closely traces the neutral gas trends while other ions exhibit weaker correlations. Given the challenges with directly observing HI at higher-z, we demonstrate that LIS absorption can be a powerful means to study the neutral ISM and present empirical relationships for predicting neutral gas properties.

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arXiv2024

A core in a star-forming disc as evidence of inside-out growth in the early Universe

The physical processes that establish the morphological evolution and the structural diversity of galaxies are key unknowns in extragalactic astrophysics. Here we report the finding of the morphologically-mature galaxy JADES-GS+53.18343-27.79097, which existed within the first 700 million years of the Universe's history. This star-forming galaxy with a stellar mass of 400 million solar masses consists of three components, a highly-compact core with a half-light radius of less than 100 pc, an actively star-forming disc with a radius of about 400 pc, and a star-forming clump, which all show distinctive star-formation histories. The central stellar mass density of this galaxy is within a factor of two of the most massive present-day ellipticals, while being globally 1000 times less massive. The radial profile of the specific star-formation rate is rising toward the outskirts. This evidence suggests the first detection of inside-out growth of a galaxy as a proto-bulge and a star-forming disc in the Epoch of Reionization.

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arXiv2024

The Star-forming and Ionizing Properties of Dwarf z~6-9 Galaxies in JADES: Insights on Bursty Star Formation and Ionized Bubble Growth

Reionization is thought to be driven by faint star-forming galaxies, but characterizing this population has long remained very challenging. Here we utilize deep nine-band NIRCam imaging from JADES to study the star-forming and ionizing properties of 756 $z\sim6-9$ galaxies, including hundreds of very UV-faint objects ($M_\mathrm{UV}>-18$). The faintest ($m\sim30$) galaxies in our sample typically have stellar masses of $M_\ast\sim(1-3)\times10^7$ $M_\odot$ and young light-weighted ages ($\sim$50 Myr), though some show strong Balmer breaks implying much older ages ($\sim$500 Myr). We find no evidence for extremely massive galaxies ($>3\times10^{10}$ $M_\odot$). We infer a strong (factor $>$2) decline in the typical [OIII]$+$H$β$ EWs towards very faint $z\sim6-9$ galaxies, yet a weak UV luminosity dependence on the H$α$ EWs at $z\sim6$. We demonstrate that these EW trends can be explained if fainter galaxies have systematically lower metallicities as well as more recently-declining star formation histories relative to the most UV-luminous galaxies in our sample. Our data provide evidence that the brightest galaxies are frequently experiencing a recent strong upturn in SFR. We also discuss how the EW trends may be influenced by a strong correlation between $M_\mathrm{UV}$ and Lyman continuum escape fraction. This alternative explanation has dramatically different implications for the contribution of galaxies along the luminosity function to cosmic reionization. Finally, we quantify the photometric overdensities around two $z>7$ strong Ly$α$ emitters. One Ly$α$ emitter lies close to a strong photometric overdensity while the other shows no significant nearby overdensity, perhaps implying that not all strong $z>7$ Ly$α$ emitters reside in large ionized bubbles.

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arXiv2024

Deep rest-UV JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy of early galaxies: the demographics of CIV and N-emitters in the reionization era

JWST has recently discovered a subset of reionization era galaxies with ionized gas that is metal poor in oxygen and carbon but heavily-enriched in nitrogen. This abundance pattern is almost never seen in lower redshift galaxies but is commonly observed in globular cluster stars. We have recently demonstrated that this peculiar abundance pattern appears in a compact ($\simeq 20$ pc) metal-poor galaxy undergoing a strong burst of star formation. This galaxy was originally selected based on strong CIV emission, indicating a hard radiation field rarely seen locally. In this paper, we present JWST/NIRSpec observations of another reionization-era galaxy known to power strong CIV emission, the $z=7.04$ gravitationally-lensed galaxy A1703-zd6. The emission line spectrum reveals this is a metal poor galaxy ($12+\log(\rm O/H) = 7.47\pm0.19$) dominated by a young stellar population ($1.6^{+0.5}_{-0.4}$ Myr) that powers a very hard ionizing spectrum (CIV EW = 19.4 $\unicode{x212B}$, He II EW = 2.2 $\unicode{x212B}$). The ISM is highly-enriched in nitrogen ($\log(\rm N/O)=-0.6$) with very high electron densities ($8-19\times10^4$ cm$^{-3}$) and extreme ionization conditions rarely seen at lower redshift. We also find intense CIV emission (EW$\gtrsim20$ $\unicode{x212B}$) in two new $z\gtrsim 6$ metal poor galaxies. To put these results in context, we search for UV line emission in a sample of 737 $z\gtrsim 4$ galaxies with NIRSpec spectra, establishing that 40(30)% of systems with [OIII]+H$β$ EW $>2000\unicode{x212B}$ have NIV] (CIV) detections with EW$>5$ $\unicode{x212B}$ ($>10$ $\unicode{x212B}$). These results suggest high N/O ratios and hard ionizing sources appear in a brief phase following a burst of star formation in compact high density stellar complexes.

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arXiv2024

Identification of High-Redshift Galaxy Overdensities in GOODS-N and GOODS-S

We conduct a systematic search for high-redshift galaxy overdensities at $4.9 < z_{\,\mathrm{spec}} < 8.9$ in both the GOODS-N and GOODS-S fields using JWST/NIRCam imaging from JADES and JEMS in addition to JWST/NIRCam wide field slitless spectroscopy from FRESCO. High-redshift galaxy candidates are identified using HST+JWST photometry spanning $λ= 0.4-5.0\ μ\mathrm{m}$. We confirmed the redshifts for roughly a third of these galaxies using JWST/FRESCO spectroscopy over $λ= 3.9-5.0\ μ\mathrm{m}$ through identification of either $\mathrm{H} α$ or $\left[\mathrm{OIII}\right]\lambda5008$ around the best-fit photometric redshift. The rest-UV magnitudes and continuum slopes of these galaxies were inferred from the photometry: the brightest and reddest objects appear in more dense environments and thus are surrounded by more galaxy neighbors than their fainter and bluer counterparts, suggesting accelerated galaxy evolution within overdense environments. We find $17$ significant ($δ_{\mathrm{gal}} \geq 3.04$, $N_{\mathrm{galaxies}} \geq 4$) galaxy overdensities across both fields ($7$ in GOODS-N and $10$ in GOODS-S), including the two highest redshift spectroscopically confirmed galaxy overdensities to date at $\left< z_{\mathrm{\,spec}} \right> = 7.954$ and $\left< z_{\mathrm{\,spec}} \right> = 8.222$ (representing densities around $\sim 6$ and $\sim 12$ times that of a random volume). We estimate the total halo mass of these large-scale structures to be $11.5 \leq \mathrm{log}_{10}\left(M_{\mathrm{halo}}/M_{\odot}\right) \leq 13.4$ using an empirical stellar mass to halo mass relation, which are likely underestimates as a result of incompleteness. These protocluster candidates are expected to evolve into massive galaxy clusters with $\mathrm{log}_{10}\left(M_{\mathrm{halo}}/M_{\odot}\right) \gtrsim 14$ by $z = 0$.

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arXiv2024

JADES NIRSpec Initial Data Release for the Hubble Ultra Deep Field: Redshifts and Line Fluxes of Distant Galaxies from the Deepest JWST Cycle 1 NIRSpec Multi-Object Spectroscopy

We describe the NIRSpec component of the JWST Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES), and provide deep spectroscopy of 253 sources targeted with the NIRSpec micro-shutter assembly in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field and surrounding GOODS-South. The multi-object spectra presented here are the deepest so far obtained with JWST, amounting to up to 28 hours in the low-dispersion ($R\sim 30-300$) prism, and up to 7 hours in each of the three medium-resolution $R\approx 1000$ gratings and one high-dispersion grating, G395H ($R\approx2700$). Our low-dispersion and medium-dispersion spectra cover the wavelength range $0.6-5.3μ$m. We describe the selection of the spectroscopic targets, the strategy for the allocation of targets to micro-shutters, and the design of the observations. We present the public release of the reduced 2D and 1D spectra, and a description of the reduction and calibration process. We measure spectroscopic redshifts for 178 of the objects targeted extending up to $z=13.2$. We present a catalog of all emission lines detected at $S/N>5$, and our redshift determinations for the targets. Combined with the first JADES NIRCam data release, these public JADES spectroscopic and imaging datasets provide a new foundation for discoveries of the infrared universe by the worldwide scientific community.

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arXiv2024

Ly$α$ emission in galaxies at $z\simeq5-6$: new insight from JWST into the statistical distributions of Ly$α$ properties at the end of reionization

JWST has recently sparked a new era of Ly$α$ spectroscopy, delivering the first measurements of the Ly$α$ escape fraction and velocity profile in typical galaxies at $z\simeq6-10$. These observations offer new prospects for insight into the earliest stages of reionization. But to realize this potential, we need robust models of Ly$α$ properties in galaxies at $z\simeq5-6$ when the IGM is mostly ionized. Here we use new JWST observations from the JADES and FRESCO surveys combined with VLT/MUSE and Keck/DEIMOS data to characterize statistical distributions of Ly$α$ velocity offsets, escape fractions, and EWs in $z\simeq5-6$ galaxies. We find that galaxies with large Ly$α$ escape fractions (> 0.2) are common at $z\simeq5-6$, comprising 30 per cent of Lyman break selected samples. Comparing to literature studies, our census suggests that Ly$α$ becomes more prevalent in the galaxy population toward higher redshift from $z\sim3$ to $z\sim6$, although we find that this evolution slows considerably between $z\sim5$ and $z\sim6$, consistent with modest attenuation from residual HI in the mostly ionized IGM at $z\simeq5-6$. We find significant evolution in Ly$α$ velocity profiles between $z\simeq2-3$ and $z\simeq5-6$, likely reflecting the influence of resonant scattering from residual intergalactic HI on the escape of Ly$α$ emission near line center. This effect will make it challenging to use Ly$α$ peak offsets as a probe of Lyman continuum leakage at $z\simeq5-6$. We use our $z\simeq5-6$ Ly$α$ distributions to make predictions for typical Ly$α$ properties at $z\gtrsim8$ and discuss implications of a recently-discovered Ly$α$ emitter at $z\simeq8.5$ with a small peak velocity offset (156 km s$^{-1}$).

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arXiv2024

Quantifying the escape of Ly$α$ at $z\approx 5-6$: a census of Ly$α$ escape fraction with H$α$ emitting galaxies spectroscopically confirmed by JWST and VLT/MUSE

JWST provides an unprecedented opportunity for unbiased surveys of H$α$-emitting galaxies at $z>4$ with the NIRCam wide-field slitless spectroscopy (WFSS). In this work, we present a census of Ly$α$ escape fraction ($f_{esc, Lyα}$) of 165 star-forming galaxies at $z=4.9-6.3$ using their H$α$ emission directly measured from FRESCO NIRCam/WFSS data. We search for Ly$α$ emission of each H$α$-emitting galaxy in VLT/MUSE data. The overall $f_{esc, Lyα}$ measured by stacking is $f_{esc, Lyα}$ is $0.090\pm0.006$. We find that $f_{esc, Lyα}$ displays a strong dependence on the observed UV slope ($β_{\rm obs}$) and E(B-V), such that the bluest galaxies ($β_{\rm obs}\sim-2.5$) have the largest escape fractions ($f_{\rm esc, Lyα}\approx0.6$), indicative of the crucial role of dust and gas in modulating the escape of Ly$α$ photons. $f_{esc, Lyα}$ is less well related to other parameters, including the UV luminosity and stellar mass, and the variation in $f_{esc, Lyα}$ with them can be explained by their underlying coupling with E(B-V) or $β_{\rm obs}$. Our results suggest a tentative decline in $f_{esc, Lyα}$ at $z\gtrsim 5$, implying increasing intergalactic medium attenuation towards higher redshift. Furthermore, the dependence of $f_{esc, Lyα}$ on $β_{\rm obs}$ is proportional to that of the ionizing photon escape fraction ($f_{\rm esc, LyC}$), indicating the escape of Ly$α$ and ionizing photon may be regulated by similar physical processes. With $f_{esc, Lyα}$ as a proxy to $f_{\rm esc, LyC}$, we infer that UV-faint ($M_{\rm UV}>-16$) galaxies contribute $>70\%$ of the total ionizing emissivity at $z=5-6$. If these relations hold during the epoch of reionization, UV-faint galaxies can contribute the majority of UV photon budget to reionize the Universe.

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arXiv2024

A recently quenched galaxy 700 million years after the Big Bang

Local and low-redshift ($z$<$3$) galaxies are known to broadly follow a bimodal distribution: actively star forming galaxies with relatively stable star-formation rates, and passive systems. These two populations are connected by galaxies in relatively slow transition. In contrast, theory predicts that star formation was stochastic at early cosmic times and in low-mass systems: these galaxies transitioned rapidly between starburst episodes and phases of suppressed star formation, potentially even causing temporary quiescence -- so-called mini-quenching events. However, the regime of star-formation burstiness is observationally highly unconstrained. Directly observing mini-quenched galaxies in the primordial Universe is therefore of utmost importance to constrain models of galaxy formation and transformation. Early quenched galaxies have been identified out to redshift $z<5$, and these are all found to be massive ($M_{*}>10^{10}~M_{\odot}$) and relatively old. Here we report a (mini-)quenched galaxy at z$=$7.3, when the Universe was only 700~Myr old. The JWST/NIRSpec spectrum is very blue ($U$-$V$$=$0.16$\pm0.03$~mag), but exhibits a Balmer break and no nebular emission lines. The galaxy experienced a short starburst followed by rapid quenching; its stellar mass (4-6$\times 10^8~M_\odot$) falls in a range that is sensitive to various feedback mechanisms, which can result in perhaps only temporary quenching.

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arXiv2024

JWST spectroscopy of $z\sim 5-8$ UV-selected galaxies: New constraints on the evolution of the Ly$α$ escape fraction in the reionization era

We describe {\it JWST}/NIRSpec prism measurements of Ly$α$ emission in $z\gtrsim 5$ galaxies. We identify Ly$α$ detections in 10 out of 69 galaxies with robust rest-optical emission line redshift measurements at $5\leq z<7$ in the CEERS and DDT-2750 observations of the EGS field. Galaxies at $z\simeq 6$ with faint continuum (F150W $=$ 27--29 mag) are found with extremely large rest-frame Ly$α$ equivalent widths (ranging up to 286 A). Likely Ly$α$ detections are also seen in two new $z>7$ galaxies ($z=$ 7.49 and 7.17) from the second epoch of CEERS observations, both showing large Ly$α$ equivalent widths that likely indicate significant transmission through the IGM. We measure high Ly$α$ escape fractions in the 12 Ly$α$ emitters in our sample (median 0.28), two of which show $f_{\rm esc}^{ {\rm Ly}α}$ near unity ($>0.80$). We find that $50_{-11}^{+11}$% of $z\simeq 6$ galaxies with [OIII]+H$β$ EW $>$ 1000 A have $f_{\rm esc}^{ {\rm Ly}α}$ $>0.2$, consistent with the fractions found in lower-redshift samples with matched [OIII]+H$β$ EWs. While uncertainties are still significant, we find that only $10_{-5}^{+9}$% of $z>7$ galaxies with similarly strong rest optical emission lines show such large $f_{\rm esc}^{ {\rm Ly}α}$, as may be expected if IGM attenuation of Ly$α$ increases towards higher redshifts. We identify photometric galaxy overdensities near the $z\gtrsim 7$ Ly$α$ emitters, potentially providing the ionizing flux necessary to create large ionized sightlines that facilitate Ly$α$ transmission. Finally, we investigate the absence of Ly$α$ emission in a comparable (and spectroscopically confirmed) galaxy overdensity at $z=7.88$ in the Abell 2744 field, discussing new prism spectra of the field obtained with the UNCOVER program.

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arXiv2024

Insight from JWST/NIRCam into galaxy overdensities around bright Ly$α$ emitters during reionization: implications for ionized bubbles at $z \sim 9$

Several studies have detected Lyman-alpha (Ly$α$) from bright ($M_\mathrm{UV}\lesssim-21.5$) galaxies during the early stages of reionization despite the significantly neutral intergalactic medium. To explain these detections, it has been suggested that $z>7$ Ly$α$ emitters (LAEs) inhabit physical Mpc (pMpc)-scale ionized regions powered by overdensities of faint galaxies, but systematic searches for these overdensities near LAEs have been challenging. Here, we use CEERS JWST/NIRCam imaging to search for large-scale galaxy overdensities near two very UV-bright, $z=8.7$ LAEs in the EGS field. We colour select 27 $z=8.4-9.1$ candidates, including the one LAE in the footprint (EGSY8p7). From SED models, we infer moderately faint UV luminosities ($-21.2\lesssim{M_\mathrm{UV}}\lesssim -19.1$) and stellar masses of $M_*\approx10^{7.5-8.8}$ M$_\odot$. All are efficient ionizing agents ($ξ_{\mathrm{ion}}^{*}\approx10^{25.5-26.0}$ Hz erg$^{-1}$) and are generally morphologically simple with only one compact ($r_e\lesssim140$ to $\sim650$ pc) star-forming component. 13 candidates lie within 5 arcmin of EGSY8p7, leading to a factor-of-four galaxy overdensity at $\lesssim 5$ arcmin ($\sim 1.4$ projected pMpc at $z\sim8.7$) separations from EGSY8p7. Separations of $10-15$ arcmin ($\sim2.7-4.1$ projected pMpc) are consistent with an average field. The spatial distribution of our sample may qualitatively suggest an $R\geq2$ pMpc ionized bubble encompassing both LAEs in EGS, which is theoretically unexpected but may be possible for a galaxy population $4\times$ more numerous than the average to create with moderate escape fractions ($f_\mathrm{esc}\gtrsim0.15$) over long times ($\gtrsim200$ Myr). Upcoming spectroscopic follow-up will characterize the size of any ionized bubble that may exist and the properties of the galaxies powering such a bubble.

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arXiv2024

The Cosmos in its Infancy: JADES Galaxy Candidates at z > 8 in GOODS-S and GOODS-N

We present a catalog of 717 candidate galaxies at $z > 8$ selected from 125 square arcminutes of NIRCam imaging as part of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES). We combine the full JADES imaging dataset with data from the JEMS and FRESCO JWST surveys along with extremely deep existing observations from HST/ACS for a final filter set that includes fifteen JWST/NIRCam filters and five HST/ACS filters. The high-redshift galaxy candidates were selected from their estimated photometric redshifts calculated using a template fitting approach, followed by visual inspection from seven independent reviewers. We explore these candidates in detail, highlighting interesting resolved or extended sources, sources with very red long-wavelength slopes, and our highest redshift candidates, which extend to $z_{phot} = 18$. We also investigate potential contamination by stellar objects, and do not find strong evidence from SED fitting that these faint high-redshift galaxy candidates are low-mass stars. Over 93\% of the sources are newly identified from our deep JADES imaging, including 31 new galaxy candidates at $z_{phot} > 12$. Using 42 sources in our sample with measured spectroscopic redshifts from NIRSpec and FRESCO, we find excellent agreement to our photometric redshift estimates, with no catastrophic outliers and an average difference of $\langle Δz = z_{phot}- z_{spec} \rangle= 0.26$. These sources comprise one of the most robust samples for probing the early buildup of galaxies within the first few hundred million years of the Universe's history.

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arXiv2023

A SPectroscopic survey of biased halos In the Reionization Era (ASPIRE): JWST Discovers an Overdensity around a Metal Absorption-selected Galaxy at $z\sim5.5$

The launch of ${\it JWST}$ opens a new window for studying the connection between metal-line absorbers and galaxies at the end of the Epoch of Reionization (EoR). Previous studies have detected absorber-galaxy pairs in limited quantities through ground-based observations. To enhance our understanding of the relationship between absorbers and their host galaxies at $z>5$, we utilized the NIRCam Wide Field Slitless Spectroscopy (WFSS) to search for absorber-associated galaxies by detecting their rest-frame optical emission lines (e.g., [OIII] + H$β$). We report the discovery of a MgII-associated galaxy at $z=5.428$ using data from the ${\it JWST}$ ASPIRE program. The MgII absorber is detected on the spectrum of quasar J0305--3150 with a rest-frame equivalent width of 0.74$\mathring{A}$. The associated galaxy has an [OIII] luminosity of $10^{42.5}\ {\rm erg\ s^{-1}}$ with an impact parameter of 24.9 proper kiloparsecs (pkpc). The joint ${\it HST}$-${\it JWST}$ spectral energy distribution (SED) implies a stellar mass and star-formation rate of ${\rm M_* \approx 10^{8.8}}$ ${\rm M_{\odot}}$, ${\rm SFR}\approx 10\ {\rm M_{\odot}\ yr^{-1}}$. Its [OIII] equivalent width and stellar mass are typical of [OIII] emitters at this redshift. Furthermore, connecting the outflow starting time to the SED-derived stellar age, the outflow velocity of this galaxy is $\sim300\ {\rm km\ s^{-1}}$, consistent with theoretical expectations. We identified six additional [OIII] emitters with impact parameters of up to $\sim300$ pkpc at similar redshifts ($|dv|<1000\ {\rm km\ s^{-1}}$). The observed number is consistent with that in cosmological simulations. This pilot study suggests that systematically investigating the absorber-galaxy connection within the ASPIRE program will provide insights into the metal-enrichment history in the early universe.

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arXiv2023

JADES: Resolving the Stellar Component and Filamentary Overdense Environment of HST-Dark Submillimeter Galaxy HDF850.1 at $z=5.18$

HDF850.1 is the brightest submillimeter galaxy (SMG) in the Hubble Deep Field. It is known as a heavily dust-obscured star-forming galaxy embedded in an overdense environment at $z = 5.18$. With nine-band NIRCam images at 0.8-5.0 $μ$m obtained through the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES), we detect and resolve the rest-frame UV-optical counterpart of HDF850.1, which splits into two components because of heavy dust obscuration in the center. The southern component leaks UV and H$α$ photons, bringing the galaxy $\sim$100 times above the empirical relation between infrared excess and UV continuum slope (IRX-$β_\mathrm{UV}$). The northern component is higher in dust attenuation and thus fainter in UV and H$α$ surface brightness. We construct a spatially resolved dust attenuation map from the NIRCam images, well matched with the dust continuum emission obtained through millimeter interferometry. The whole system hosts a stellar mass of $10^{10.8\pm0.1}\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$ and star-formation rate of $10^{2.8\pm0.2}\,\mathrm{M}_\odot\,\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$, placing the galaxy at the massive end of the star-forming main sequence at this epoch. We further confirm that HDF850.1 resides in a complex overdense environment at $z=5.17-5.30$, which hosts another luminous SMG at $z=5.30$ (GN10). The filamentary structures of the overdensity are characterized by 109 H$α$-emitting galaxies confirmed through NIRCam slitless spectroscopy at 3.9-5 $μ$m, of which only eight were known before the JWST observations. Given the existence of a similar galaxy overdensity in the GOODS-S field, our results suggest that $50\pm20$% of the cosmic star formation at $z=5.1-5.5$ occur in protocluster environments.

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arXiv2023

JWST/NIRSpec Spectroscopy of $z=7-9$ Star Forming Galaxies with CEERS: New Insight into Bright Ly$α$ Emitters in Ionized Bubbles

We describe new JWST/NIRSpec observations of galaxies at $z\gtrsim7$ taken from the CEERS survey. Previous observations of this area have revealed associations of Ly$α$ emitters at redshifts ($z=7.5$, $7.7$, $8.7$) where the intergalactic medium (IGM) is thought to be mostly neutral, leading to suggestions that these systems are situated in large ionized bubbles. We identify 21 $z\gtrsim7$ galaxies with robust redshifts in the CEERS dataset, including 10 in the Ly$α$ associations. Their spectra are indicative of very highly ionized and metal poor gas, with line ratios (O32 $=17.84$ and Ne3O2 $=0.89$, linear scale) and metallicity ($12+\log{(\rm{O/H})}=7.84$) that are rarely seen at lower redshifts. We find that the most extreme spectral properties are found in the six $z\gtrsim7$ Ly$α$ emitters in the sample. Each has a hard ionizing spectrum indicating that their visibility is likely enhanced by efficient ionizing photon production. Ly$α$ velocity offsets are found to be very large ($\gtrsim300$ km s$^{-1}$), likely also contributing to their detectability. We find that Ly$α$ in $z\gtrsim7$ galaxies is $6-12\times$ weaker than in lower redshift samples with matched rest-optical spectral properties. If the bubbles around the Ly$α$ emitters are relatively small ($\lesssim0.5-1$ pMpc), we may expect such significant attenuation of Ly$α$ in these ionized regions. We discuss several other effects that may contribute to weaker Ly$α$ emission at $z\gtrsim7$. Deep spectroscopy of fainter galaxies in the vicinity of the Ly$α$ emitters will better characterize the physical scale of the ionized bubbles in this field.

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arXiv2023

The JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey: Discovery of an Extreme Galaxy Overdensity at $z = 5.4$ with JWST/NIRCam in GOODS-S

We report the discovery of an extreme galaxy overdensity at $z = 5.4$ in the GOODS-S field using JWST/NIRCam imaging from JADES and JEMS alongside JWST/NIRCam wide field slitless spectroscopy from FRESCO. We identified potential members of the overdensity using HST+JWST photometry spanning $λ= 0.4-5.0\ μ\mathrm{m}$. These data provide accurate and well-constrained photometric redshifts down to $m \approx 29-30\,\mathrm{mag}$. We subsequently confirmed $N = 81$ galaxies at $5.2 < z < 5.5$ using JWST slitless spectroscopy over $λ= 3.9-5.0\ μ\mathrm{m}$ through a targeted line search for $\mathrm{H} α$ around the best-fit photometric redshift. We verified that $N = 42$ of these galaxies reside in the field while $N = 39$ galaxies reside in a density around $\sim 10$ times that of a random volume. Stellar populations for these galaxies were inferred from the photometry and used to construct the star-forming main sequence, where protocluster members appeared more massive and exhibited earlier star formation (and thus older stellar populations) when compared to their field galaxy counterparts. We estimate the total halo mass of this large-scale structure to be $12.6 \lesssim \mathrm{log}_{10} \left( M_{\mathrm{halo}}/M_{\odot} \right) \lesssim 12.8$ using an empirical stellar mass to halo mass relation, which is likely an underestimate as a result of incompleteness. Our discovery demonstrates the power of JWST at constraining dark matter halo assembly and galaxy formation at very early cosmic times.

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arXiv2023

JADES: Discovery of extremely high equivalent width Lyman-alpha emission from a faint galaxy within an ionized bubble at z=7.3

We report the discovery of a remarkable Ly$α$ emitting galaxy at z = 7.2782, JADES-GS-z7-LA, with EW$_0$(Ly$α$) $= 388.0 \pm 88.8$Åand UV magnitude -17.0. The spectroscopic redshift is confirmed via rest-frame optical lines [O II], H$β$ and [O III] in its JWST/NIRSpec Micro-Shutter Assembly (MSA) spectrum. The Ly$α$ line is detected in both lower resolution PRISM as well as medium resolution G140M grating spectra. The LSF-deconvolved Ly$α$ FWHM in the grating is $383.9 \pm 56.2$ km/s and the Ly$α$ velocity offset compared to the systemic redshift is $113.3 \pm 80.0$ km/s, indicative of very little neutral gas or dust within the galaxy. We estimate the Ly$α$ escape fraction to be >70%. JADES-GS-z7-LA has a O32 ratio of $11.1 \pm 2.2$ and a R23 ratio of $11.2 \pm 2.6$, consistent with low metallicity and high ionization parameters. Deep NIRCam imaging also revealed a close companion source (separated by 0.23"), which exhibits similar photometry to that of JADES-GS-z7-LA, with a photometric excess in the F410M NIRCam image consistent with [O III]+H$β$ emission at the same redshift. The spectral energy distribution of JADES-GS-z7-LA indicates a "bursty" star formation history, with a low stellar mass of $\approx 10^7$ $M_\odot$. Assuming that the Ly$α$ transmission through the intergalactic medium is the same as its measured escape fraction, an ionized region of size > 1.5 pMpc is needed to explain the high Ly$α$ EW and low velocity offset compared to systemic seen in JADES-GS-z7-LA. Owing to its UV-faintness, we show that it is incapable of single-handedly ionizing a region large enough to explain its Ly$α$ emission. Therefore, we suggest that JADES-GS-z7-LA (and possibly the companion source) may be a part of a larger overdensity, presenting direct evidence of overlapping ionized bubbles at $z>7$.

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arXiv2023

JADES Initial Data Release for the Hubble Ultra Deep Field: Revealing the Faint Infrared Sky with Deep JWST NIRCam Imaging

JWST has revolutionized the field of extragalactic astronomy with its sensitive and high-resolution infrared view of the distant universe. Adding to the new legacy of JWST observations, we present the first NIRCam imaging data release from the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) providing 9 filters of infrared imaging of $\sim$25 arcmin$^2$ covering the Hubble Ultra Deep Field and portions of Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) South. Utilizing 87 on-sky dual-filter hours of exposure time, these images reveal the deepest ever near-infrared view of this iconic field. We supply carefully constructed 9-band mosaics of the JADES bands, as well as matching reductions of 5 additional bands from the JWST Extragalactic Medium-band Survey (JEMS). Combining with existing HST imaging, we provide 23-band space-based photometric catalogs and photometric redshifts for $\approx47,500$ sources. To promote broad engagement with the JADES survey, we have created an interactive {\tt FitsMap} website to provide an interface for professional researchers and the public to experience these JWST datasets. Combined with the first JADES NIRSpec data release, these public JADES imaging and spectroscopic datasets provide a new foundation for discoveries of the infrared universe by the worldwide scientific community.

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