The Astrophysical Journal Letters (Jan 2023)
CEERS Key Paper. I. An Early Look into the First 500 Myr of Galaxy Formation with JWST
- Steven L. Finkelstein,
- Micaela B. Bagley,
- Henry C. Ferguson,
- Stephen M. Wilkins,
- Jeyhan S. Kartaltepe,
- Casey Papovich,
- L. Y. Aaron Yung,
- Pablo Arrabal Haro,
- Peter Behroozi,
- Mark Dickinson,
- Dale D. Kocevski,
- Anton M. Koekemoer,
- Rebecca L. Larson,
- Aurélien Le Bail,
- Alexa M. Morales,
- Pablo G. Pérez-González,
- Denis Burgarella,
- Romeel Davé,
- Michaela Hirschmann,
- Rachel S. Somerville,
- Stijn Wuyts,
- Volker Bromm,
- Caitlin M. Casey,
- Adriano Fontana,
- Seiji Fujimoto,
- Jonathan P. Gardner,
- Mauro Giavalisco,
- Andrea Grazian,
- Norman A. Grogin,
- Nimish P. Hathi,
- Taylor A. Hutchison,
- Saurabh W. Jha,
- Shardha Jogee,
- Lisa J. Kewley,
- Allison Kirkpatrick,
- Arianna S. Long,
- Jennifer M. Lotz,
- Laura Pentericci,
- Justin D. R. Pierel,
- Nor Pirzkal,
- Swara Ravindranath,
- Russell E. Ryan Jr.,
- Jonathan R. Trump,
- Guang Yang,
- Rachana Bhatawdekar,
- Laura Bisigello,
- Véronique Buat,
- Antonello Calabrò,
- Marco Castellano,
- Nikko J. Cleri,
- M. C. Cooper,
- Darren Croton,
- Emanuele Daddi,
- Avishai Dekel,
- David Elbaz,
- Maximilien Franco,
- Eric Gawiser,
- Benne W. Holwerda,
- Marc Huertas-Company,
- Anne E. Jaskot,
- Gene C. K. Leung,
- Ray A. Lucas,
- Bahram Mobasher,
- Viraj Pandya,
- Sandro Tacchella,
- Benjamin J. Weiner,
- Jorge A. Zavala
Affiliations
- Steven L. Finkelstein
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX, USA
- Micaela B. Bagley
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX, USA
- Henry C. Ferguson
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Stephen M. Wilkins
- ORCiD
- Astronomy Centre, University of Sussex , Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QH, UK; Institute of Space Sciences and Astronomy, University of Malta , Msida MSD 2080, Malta
- Jeyhan S. Kartaltepe
- ORCiD
- Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology , 84 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623, USA
- Casey Papovich
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University , College Station, TX 77843-4242, USA; George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University , College Station, TX 77843-4242, USA
- L. Y. Aaron Yung
- ORCiD
- Astrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- Pablo Arrabal Haro
- ORCiD
- NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
- Peter Behroozi
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Division of Science, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
- Mark Dickinson
- ORCiD
- NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
- Dale D. Kocevski
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Colby College, Waterville, ME 04901, USA
- Anton M. Koekemoer
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Rebecca L. Larson
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX, USA; NSF Graduate Fellow
- Aurélien Le Bail
- ORCiD
- Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité , CEA, CNRS, AIM, F-91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Alexa M. Morales
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX, USA
- Pablo G. Pérez-González
- ORCiD
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Ctra. de Ajalvir km 4, Torrejón de Ardoz, E-28850, Madrid, Spain
- Denis Burgarella
- ORCiD
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CNES, LAM Marseille, France
- Romeel Davé
- ORCiD
- Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Blackford Hill, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ, UK; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of the Western Cape , Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
- Michaela Hirschmann
- ORCiD
- Institute of Physics, Laboratory of Galaxy Evolution, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Observatoire de Sauverny, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland; INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Via Tiepolo 11, I-34131 Trieste, Italy
- Rachel S. Somerville
- ORCiD
- Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute , 162 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10010, USA
- Stijn Wuyts
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, University of Bath , Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
- Volker Bromm
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX, USA
- Caitlin M. Casey
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX, USA
- Adriano Fontana
- ORCiD
- INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, via di Frascati 33, I-00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
- Seiji Fujimoto
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX, USA; Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN), Jagtvej 128, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark; Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Lyngbyvej 2, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
- Jonathan P. Gardner
- ORCiD
- Astrophysics Science Division, Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 665, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- Mauro Giavalisco
- ORCiD
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, 710 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003-9305, USA
- Andrea Grazian
- ORCiD
- INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 5, I-35122, Padova, Italy
- Norman A. Grogin
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Nimish P. Hathi
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Taylor A. Hutchison
- ORCiD
- Astrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- Saurabh W. Jha
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey , Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Shardha Jogee
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX, USA
- Lisa J. Kewley
- ORCiD
- Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Allison Kirkpatrick
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kansas , Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
- Arianna S. Long
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX, USA
- Jennifer M. Lotz
- ORCiD
- Gemini Observatory/NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
- Laura Pentericci
- ORCiD
- INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, via di Frascati 33, I-00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
- Justin D. R. Pierel
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Nor Pirzkal
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA; ESA/AURA, STScI , 3700 San Martin Drive, MD 21218, USA
- Swara Ravindranath
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Russell E. Ryan Jr.
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Jonathan R. Trump
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, University of Connecticut , 196 Auditorium Road, Unit 3046, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- Guang Yang
- ORCiD
- Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen , P.O. Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands; SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Postbus 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
- Rachana Bhatawdekar
- ORCiD
- European Space Agency , ESA/ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk, The Netherlands
- Laura Bisigello
- ORCiD
- INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 5, I-35122, Padova, Italy; Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “G.Galilei,” Universitá di Padova , Via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova, Italy
- Véronique Buat
- ORCiD
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, CNES, LAM Marseille, France
- Antonello Calabrò
- ORCiD
- INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, via di Frascati 33, I-00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
- Marco Castellano
- ORCiD
- INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, via di Frascati 33, I-00078 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
- Nikko J. Cleri
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University , College Station, TX 77843-4242, USA; George P. and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Institute for Fundamental Physics and Astronomy, Texas A&M University , College Station, TX 77843-4242, USA
- M. C. Cooper
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of California , Irvine, 4129 Reines Hall, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Darren Croton
- ORCiD
- Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology , Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D), Australia
- Emanuele Daddi
- ORCiD
- Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité , CEA, CNRS, AIM, F-91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Avishai Dekel
- ORCiD
- Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Jerusalem 91904, Israel
- David Elbaz
- ORCiD
- Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité , CEA, CNRS, AIM, F-91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Maximilien Franco
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX, USA
- Eric Gawiser
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey , Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Benne W. Holwerda
- ORCiD
- Physics & Astronomy Department, University of Louisville , Louisville, KY 40292, USA
- Marc Huertas-Company
- ORCiD
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Universidad de la Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Université Paris-Cité, LERMA—Observatoire de Paris, PSL, Paris, France
- Anne E. Jaskot
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267, USA
- Gene C. K. Leung
- ORCiD
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, TX, USA
- Ray A. Lucas
- ORCiD
- Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Bahram Mobasher
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
- Viraj Pandya
- ORCiD
- Columbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia University , 550 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Sandro Tacchella
- ORCiD
- Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge , Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HA, UK; Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge , 19 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 0HE, UK
- Benjamin J. Weiner
- ORCiD
- MMT/Steward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
- Jorge A. Zavala
- ORCiD
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/acade4
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 946,
no. 1
p. L13
Abstract
We present an investigation into the first 500 Myr of galaxy evolution from the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey. CEERS, one of 13 JWST ERS programs, targets galaxy formation from z ∼ 0.5 to >10 using several imaging and spectroscopic modes. We make use of the first epoch of CEERS NIRCam imaging, spanning 35.5 arcmin ^2 , to search for candidate galaxies at z > 9. Following a detailed data reduction process implementing several custom steps to produce high-quality reduced images, we perform multiband photometry across seven NIRCam broad- and medium-band (and six Hubble broadband) filters focusing on robust colors and accurate total fluxes. We measure photometric redshifts and devise a robust set of selection criteria to identify a sample of 26 galaxy candidates at z ∼ 9–16. These objects are compact with a median half-light radius of ∼0.5 kpc. We present an early estimate of the z ∼ 11 rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) luminosity function, finding that the number density of galaxies at M _UV ∼ −20 appears to evolve very little from z ∼ 9 to 11. We also find that the abundance (surface density [arcmin ^−2 ]) of our candidates exceeds nearly all theoretical predictions. We explore potential implications, including that at z > 10, star formation may be dominated by top-heavy initial mass functions, which would result in an increased ratio of UV light per unit halo mass, though a complete lack of dust attenuation and/or changing star formation physics may also play a role. While spectroscopic confirmation of these sources is urgently required, our results suggest that the deeper views to come with JWST should yield prolific samples of ultrahigh-redshift galaxies with which to further explore these conclusions.
Keywords
