2024ApJ...960...56H -
Astrophys. J., 960, 56 (2024/January-1)
Pure Spectroscopic Constraints on UV Luminosity Functions and Cosmic Star Formation History from 25 Galaxies at zspec = 8.61-13.20 Confirmed with JWST/NIRSpec.
HARIKANE Y., NAKAJIMA K., OUCHI M., UMEDA H., ISOBE Y., ONO Y., XU Y. and ZHANG Y.
Abstract (from CDS):
We present pure spectroscopic constraints on the UV luminosity functions and cosmic star formation rate (SFR) densities from 25 galaxies at zspec = 8.61-13.20. By reducing the JWST/NIRSpec spectra taken in multiple programs of Early Release Observation, Early Release Science, General Observer, and Director's Discretionary Time observations with our analysis technique, we independently confirm 16 galaxies at zspec = 8.61-11.40, including new redshift determinations, and a bright interloper at zspec = 4.91 that was claimed as a photometric candidate at z ∼ 16. In conjunction with nine galaxies at redshifts up to zspec = 13.20 in the literature, we make a sample of 25 spectroscopically confirmed galaxies in total and carefully derive the best estimates and lower limits of the UV luminosity functions. These UV luminosity function constraints are consistent with the previous photometric estimates within the uncertainties and indicate mild redshift evolution toward z ∼ 12, showing tensions with some theoretical models of rapid evolution. With these spectroscopic constraints, we obtain firm lower limits of the cosmic SFR densities and spectroscopically confirm a high SFR density at z ∼ 12 beyond the constant star formation efficiency models, which supports earlier claims from the photometric studies. While there are no spectroscopically confirmed galaxies with very large stellar masses violating the ΛCDM model due to the removal of the bright interloper, we confirm star-forming galaxies at zspec = 11-13 with stellar masses much higher than model predictions. Our results indicate possibilities of high star formation efficiency (>5%), a hidden active galactic nucleus, a top-heavy initial mass function (possibly with Population III), and large scatter/variance. Having these successful and unsuccessful spectroscopy results, we suggest observational strategies for efficiently removing low-redshift interlopers for future JWST programs.
Abstract Copyright:
© 2023. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.
Journal keyword(s):
Galaxy evolution - Galaxy formation - High-redshift galaxies
Simbad objects:
32
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