2025ApJ...991...74G -
Astrophys. J., 991, 74 (2025/September-3)
A Search for z = 5 Hα and Hβ + [O III] Dual-line Emitting Galaxies in the JWST CEERS Field: Implications for the Active Galactic Nucleus Abundance.
GUO J., ONOUE M., INAYOSHI K., KOCEVSKI D.D., FINKELSTEIN S.L., BAGLEY M.B. and McGRATH E.J.
Abstract (from CDS):
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has enabled us to uncover faint galaxies and active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the early Universe. Leveraging the filter combination used in the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science Survey program, we perform an extensive photometric search of galaxies emitting strong Hβ + [O III] and Hα lines. The redshift range of the galaxies is limited to 5.03 ≤ z ≤ 5.26 by requiring photometric excess in NIRCam's F277W and F410M images. A total of 259 Hβ + [O III] and Hα dual-line emitters are found over the absolute UV magnitude -22 ≲ MUV ≲ -17, with a mean rest-frame equivalent width of 990 Å for Hβ + [O III] and 1050 Å for Hα. This population accounts for ∼40% of the Lyman-break galaxies at this redshift range. Intriguingly, there are 58 objects (22% of the whole sample) that exhibit compact morphology at the rest-UV or optical wavelength. Assuming that these compact dual-line emitters are dominated by AGNs, their bolometric luminosities are in the range of 2 × 1043 ≲ Lbol/(erg s–1) ≲ 3 × 1044. Their number density is 2 dex higher than the extrapolation from UV-selected luminous quasars, which is in good agreement with previous JWST studies of broad-line AGNs, requiring a ∼10% AGN duty cycle. Moreover, our dual-line emitter sample reaches the faint end of the Hα and [O III] luminosity functions down to ≲1042 erg s–1. Spectroscopic follow-up observations are planned in a JWST Cycle 3 program, in which we aim to confirm their nature, characterize their black hole activity, and construct their mass distribution at 106 ≲ MBH/M⊙ ≲ 108.
Abstract Copyright:
© 2025. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.
Journal keyword(s):
Galaxy formation - High-redshift galaxies - Quasars - Supermassive black holes
Status at CDS
:
Large table(s) will be appraised for possible ingestion in VizieR.
Simbad objects:
5
Full paper
View the references in ADS
To bookmark this query, right click on this link: simbad:2025ApJ...991...74G and select 'bookmark this link' or equivalent in the popup menu