MAGAZ3NE: Far-IR and Radio Insights into the Nature and Properties of Ultramassive Galaxies at <i>z</i>  ≳ 3

Abstract Deep and wide-field near-infrared (NIR) surveys have recently discovered and confirmed ultramassive galaxies (UMGs; <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>M</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>⋆</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>⊙</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> </mml:math> &gt; 11) spectroscopically at z ≳ 3. However, most are characterized using only ultraviolet (UV)-to-NIR photometry, offering limited insight into obscured star formation and active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity. In this work, we add 10 far-infrared (FIR)-to-radio passbands to the existing UV-to-NIR catalogs for two spectroscopically confirmed UMGs from the MAGAZ3NE survey, COS-DR3-195616 ( z spec = 3.255) and COS-DR1-209435 ( z spec = 2.481). Utilizing the full UV-to-radio photometry, we revise our earlier UV-NIR-based interpretation of the nature of these galaxies. While both were previously identified as quiescent, our analysis reveals that 195616 is an unobscured galaxy undergoing quenching, and 209435 is a heavily obscured, actively star-forming UMG. We find that 195616 has already depleted most of its molecular gas and is expected to experience minimal future stellar mass growth. In contrast, 209435 contains a substantial molecular gas reservoir and has a prolonged depletion timescale. It is anticipated to increase 0.34 dex in stellar mass, reaching a stellar mass of <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>M</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>⋆</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>⊙</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> </mml:math> = 11.72 over the next 0.72 Gyr. We present multipronged evidence for AGN activity in both UMGs. Our findings suggest a scenario where AGN feedback in 195616 may have contributed to gas depletion during quenching, while 209435 remains actively star-forming despite hosting an obscured AGN. Our work shows the importance of FIR-to-radio observations for accurately inferring the nature and properties of galaxies at z ≳ 3.

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Journal
The Astrophysical Journal
Published
2026-04-10
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae4ede
Primary Topic
Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
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article
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article

MAGAZ3NE: Far-IR and Radio Insights into the Nature and Properties of Ultramassive Galaxies at z  ≳ 3

Ian McConachie, Aurélien Henry, Danilo Marchesini, Allison Noble et al.
The Astrophysical Journal
Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
article

MAGAZ3NE: Far-IR and Radio Insights into the Nature and Properties of Ultramassive Galaxies at z  ≳ 3

Ian McConachie, Aurélien Henry, Danilo Marchesini, Allison Noble, Stephanie M. Urbano Stawinski, Michael C. Cooper, Gillian Wilson, Gabriela Canalizo, Percy Gómez, Wenjun Chang, Andrew Battisti, A. Muzzin, M. E. Wisz, Ben Forrest, Tracy Webb
article en

Abstract

Abstract Deep and wide-field near-infrared (NIR) surveys have recently discovered and confirmed ultramassive galaxies (UMGs; <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>M</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>⋆</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>⊙</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> </mml:math> &gt; 11) spectroscopically at z ≳ 3. However, most are characterized using only ultraviolet (UV)-to-NIR photometry, offering limited insight into obscured star formation and active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity. In this work, we add 10 far-infrared (FIR)-to-radio passbands to the existing UV-to-NIR catalogs for two spectroscopically confirmed UMGs from the MAGAZ3NE survey, COS-DR3-195616 ( z spec = 3.255) and COS-DR1-209435 ( z spec = 2.481). Utilizing the full UV-to-radio photometry, we revise our earlier UV-NIR-based interpretation of the nature of these galaxies. While both were previously identified as quiescent, our analysis reveals that 195616 is an unobscured galaxy undergoing quenching, and 209435 is a heavily obscured, actively star-forming UMG. We find that 195616 has already depleted most of its molecular gas and is expected to experience minimal future stellar mass growth. In contrast, 209435 contains a substantial molecular gas reservoir and has a prolonged depletion timescale. It is anticipated to increase 0.34 dex in stellar mass, reaching a stellar mass of <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>M</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>⋆</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>⊙</mml:mo> </mml:mrow> </mml:msub> <mml:mo stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> </mml:math> = 11.72 over the next 0.72 Gyr. We present multipronged evidence for AGN activity in both UMGs. Our findings suggest a scenario where AGN feedback in 195616 may have contributed to gas depletion during quenching, while 209435 remains actively star-forming despite hosting an obscured AGN. Our work shows the importance of FIR-to-radio observations for accurately inferring the nature and properties of galaxies at z ≳ 3.

The Astrophysical JournalVol. 1001(2)
University of California, Riverside (US), Australian National University (AU), Tufts University (US), University of Wisconsin–Madison (US), University of California, Merced (US), The University of Western Australia (AU), York University (CA), University of California, Irvine (US), W.M. Keck Observatory (US), International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (AU), McGill University (CA), Arizona State University (US), University of California, Davis (US)
Openalex Percentile: Top 23%
Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
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