JWST NIRSpec Spectroscopy of the Triply Lensed z = 10.17 Galaxy MACS0647–JD
Abstract We present JWST/NIRSpec prism spectroscopy of MACS0647−JD, a triply lensed z ∼ 11 candidate discovered in Hubble Space Telescope imaging and spatially resolved by JWST imaging into two components, A and B. Spectroscopy of component A yields a spectroscopic redshift z = 10.17 based on seven detected emission lines: C iii ] λ λ 1907, 1909, [O ii ] λ 3727, [Ne iii ] λ 3869, [Ne iii ] λ 3968, H δ λ 4101, H γ λ 4340, and [O iii ] λ 4363. These are the second-most distant detections of these emission lines to date, in a galaxy observed just 460 million years after the Big Bang. Based on observed and extrapolated line flux ratios we derive a gas-phase metallicity 12 + log(O/H) ∼ 7.5–8.0, or Z ∼ (0.06–0.2) Z ⊙ , ionization parameter <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mi>log</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:mi>U</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> </mml:math> = −1.9 ± 0.2, and an ionizing photon production efficiency <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mi>log</mml:mi> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>ξ</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>ion</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> <mml:mo>=</mml:mo> <mml:mn>25.2</mml:mn> <mml:mo>±</mml:mo> <mml:mn>0.2</mml:mn> <mml:mspace width="0.25em"/> </mml:math> erg −1 Hz. The spectrum has a softened Ly α break, evidence for a strong Ly α damping wing. The Ly α damping wing also suppresses the F150W photometry, explaining the slightly overestimated photometric redshift z = 10.6 ± 0.3. MACS0647−JD has a stellar mass log( M / M ⊙ ) = 8.1 ± 0.3, including ∼6 × 10 7 M ⊙ in component A, most of which formed recently (within ∼20 Myr) with a star formation rate ∼ 2 ± 1 M ⊙ yr −1 , all within an effective radius 70 ± 24 pc. Spectroscopy of a fainter companion galaxy C separated by a distance of ∼ 3 kpc reveals a Lyman break consistent with z ∼ 10.17. MACS0647−JD is likely the most distant galaxy merger known.
Authors
- Matilde Mingozzi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2589-762X)
- Pratika Dayal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8460-1564)
- Nimisha Kumari (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5320-2568)
- Seiji Fujimoto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7201-5066)
- Colin Norman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5222-5717)
- Adam C. Carnall (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1482-5818)
- Stephen M. Wilkins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3903-6935)
- Maruša Bradač (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5984-0395)
- Massimo Ricotti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4223-7324)
- Lukas J. Furtak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6278-032X)
- Intae Jung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1187-4240)
- Rogier A. Windhorst (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8156-6281)
- Vasily Kokorev (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5588-9156)
- Tom Broadhurst (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8785-8979)
- Rebecca L. Larson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2366-8858)
- Anton Vikaeus (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4853-1076)
- Bethan L. James (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4372-2006)
- Christopher J. Conselice (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1949-7638)
- Erik Zackrisson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1096-2636)
- Brian Welch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1815-0114)
- Angela Adamo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8192-8091)
- Svea Hernández (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4857-8699)
- Larry Bradley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7908-9284)
- Dan Coe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7410-7669)
- Jacqueline Antwi-Danso (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0243-6575)
- Tiger Yu-Yang Hsiao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4512-8705)
- Marc Postman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9365-7989)
- Nor Pirzkal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3382-5941)
- Hyunbae Park (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7464-7857)
- Xinfeng Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9217-7051)
- E. Vanzella (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5057-135X)
- Megan Donahue (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2808-0853)
- Gabriel Brammer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2680-005X)
- J. J. Eldridge (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1722-6343)
- Jane R. Rigby (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7627-6551)
- Taylor A. Hutchison (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6251-4988)
- Adi Zitrin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0350-4488)
- J. M. Diego (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9065-3926)
- Alaina Henry (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6586-4446)
- Felipe Andrade-Santos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8144-9285)
- no-firstname Abdurro’uf
Institutions
- Damien Foundation (BD)
Publication Details
- Journal
- The Astrophysical Journal
- Published
- 2024-09-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad5da8
- Citations
- 65
- Primary Topic
- Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 21.22
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Oak Ridge Associated Universities
- Space Telescope Science Institute
- Leverhulme Trust
- European Commission
- National Research Foundation
- Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
- Danmarks Grundforskningsfond
- United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation
- Swedish National Space Agency
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
- Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca
- Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS
- Vetenskapsrådet
- Goddard Space Flight Center
- Science and Technology Facilities Council