The Astrophysical Journal (Jan 2025)
RUBIES: JWST/NIRSpec Resolves Evolutionary Phases of Dusty Star-forming Galaxies at z ∼ 2
- Olivia R. Cooper,
- Gabriel Brammer,
- Kasper E. Heintz,
- Sune Toft,
- Caitlin M. Casey,
- David J. Setton,
- Anna de Graaff,
- Leindert Boogaard,
- Nikko J. Cleri,
- Steven Gillman,
- Rashmi Gottumukkala,
- Jenny E. Greene,
- Bitten Gullberg,
- Michaela Hirschmann,
- Raphael E. Hviding,
- Erini Lambrides,
- Joel Leja,
- Arianna S. Long,
- Sinclaire M. Manning,
- Michael V. Maseda,
- Ian McConachie,
- Jed McKinney,
- Desika Narayanan,
- Sedona H. Price,
- Victoria Strait,
- Katherine A. Suess,
- Andrea Weibel,
- Christina C. Williams
Affiliations
- Olivia R. Cooper
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX, USA; Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN) , Copenhagen, Denmark
- Gabriel Brammer
- ORCiD
- Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN) , Copenhagen, Denmark; Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 128, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Kasper E. Heintz
- ORCiD
- Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN) , Copenhagen, Denmark; Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 128, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark; Department of Astronomy, University of Geneva , Chemin Pegasi 51, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
- Sune Toft
- ORCiD
- Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN) , Copenhagen, Denmark; Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 128, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Caitlin M. Casey
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX, USA; Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN) , Copenhagen, Denmark
- David J. Setton
- ORCiD
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University , 4 Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Anna de Graaff
- ORCiD
- Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie , Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- Leindert Boogaard
- ORCiD
- Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie , Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Leiden Observatory, Leiden University , PO Box 9513, NL-2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
- Nikko J. Cleri
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA; Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA; Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Steven Gillman
- ORCiD
- Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN) , Copenhagen, Denmark; DTU-Space, Technical University of Denmark , Elektrovej 327, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
- Rashmi Gottumukkala
- ORCiD
- Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN) , Copenhagen, Denmark; Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 128, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Jenny E. Greene
- ORCiD
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University , 4 Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Bitten Gullberg
- ORCiD
- Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN) , Copenhagen, Denmark; DTU-Space, Technical University of Denmark , Elektrovej 327, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
- Michaela Hirschmann
- ORCiD
- Institute of Physics, Laboratory for Galaxy Evolution, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne , Observatoire de Sauverny, Chemin Pegasi 51, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
- Raphael E. Hviding
- ORCiD
- Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie , Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
- Erini Lambrides
- ORCiD
- NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center , Code 662, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- Joel Leja
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA; Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA; Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, The Pennsylvania State University , University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Arianna S. Long
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Washington , Seattle, WA, USA
- Sinclaire M. Manning
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts Amherst , 710 N Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Michael V. Maseda
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Ian McConachie
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Jed McKinney
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX, USA
- Desika Narayanan
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of Florida , 211 Bryant Space Sciences Center, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Sedona H. Price
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and PITT PACC, University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Victoria Strait
- ORCiD
- Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN) , Copenhagen, Denmark; Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen , Jagtvej 128, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
- Katherine A. Suess
- ORCiD
- Department for Astrophysical and Planetary Science, University of Colorado , Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Andrea Weibel
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, University of Geneva , Chemin Pegasi 51, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
- Christina C. Williams
- ORCiD
- NSF’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory , 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA; Steward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adb8e1
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 982,
no. 2
p. 125
Abstract
The dearth of high-quality spectroscopy of dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs)—the main drivers of the assembly of dust and stellar mass at the peak of activity in the Universe—greatly hinders our ability to interpret their physical processes and evolutionary pathways. We present JWST/NIRSpec observations from RUBIES of four submillimeter-selected, Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA)-detected DSFGs at cosmic noon, z ∼ 2.3–2.7. While photometry uniformly suggests vigorous ongoing star formation for the entire sample in line with canonical DSFGs, the spectra differ: one source has spectroscopic evidence of an evolved stellar population, indicating a recent transition to a post-starburst phase, while the remainder show strong spectroscopic signatures of ongoing starbursts. All four galaxies are infrared luminous (log _10 L _IR / L _⊙ > 12.4), massive (log _10 M _⋆ / M _⊙ > 11), and very dust obscured ( A _V ∼ 3–4 ABmag). Leveraging detections of multiple Balmer and Paschen lines, we derive an optical attenuation curve consistent with Calzetti overall, yet an optical extinction ratio R _V ∼ 2.5, potentially indicating smaller dust grains or differences in star-dust geometry. This case study provides some of the first detailed spectroscopic evidence that the DSFGs encompass a heterogeneous sample spanning a range of star formation properties and evolutionary stages, and illustrates the advantages of synergistic JWST and ALMA analysis of DSFGs.
Keywords
