The Puzzling Properties of the MACS1149-JD1 Galaxy at z = 9.11

Massimo Stiavelli; Takahiro Morishita; Marco Chiaberge; Claudio Grillo; Nicha Leethochawalit; Piero Rosati; Stefan Schuldt; Michele Trenti; Tommaso Treu

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ad0159

The Astrophysical Journal Letters (Jan 2023)

The Puzzling Properties of the MACS1149-JD1 Galaxy at z = 9.11

Massimo Stiavelli,
Takahiro Morishita,
Marco Chiaberge,
Claudio Grillo,
Nicha Leethochawalit,
Piero Rosati,
Stefan Schuldt,
Michele Trenti,
Tommaso Treu

Affiliations

Massimo Stiavelli: ORCiD; Space Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
Takahiro Morishita: ORCiD; IPAC, California Institute of Technology , MC 314-6, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
Marco Chiaberge: ORCiD; Space Telescope Science Institute for the European Space Agency (ESA) , ESA Office, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; The William H. Miller III Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
Claudio Grillo: ORCiD; Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano , Via Celoria 16, I-20133 Milano, Italy; INAF—IASF Milano , via A. Corti 12, I-20133 Milano, Italy
Nicha Leethochawalit: ORCiD; National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) , Mae Rim, Chiang Mai, 50180, Thailand
Piero Rosati: ORCiD; INAF—OAS, Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna , via Gobetti 93/3, I-40129 Bologna, Italy; Dipartimento di Fisica e Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Ferrara , Via Saragat 1, I-44122 Ferrara, Italy
Stefan Schuldt: ORCiD; Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano , Via Celoria 16, I-20133 Milano, Italy; INAF—IASF Milano , via A. Corti 12, I-20133 Milano, Italy
Michele Trenti: ORCiD; School of Physics, University of Melbourne , Parkville 3010, VIC, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3 Dimensions (ASTRO 3D) , Australia
Tommaso Treu: ORCiD; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Los Angeles, 430 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad0159
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 957, no. 2
p. L18

Abstract

Read online

We analyze new JWST NIRCam and NIRSpec data on the redshift 9.11 galaxy MACS1149-JD1 (hereafter JD1). Our NIRCam imaging data reveal that JD1 comprises three spatially distinct components. Our spectroscopic data indicate that JD1 appears dust free but is already enriched, $12+\mathrm{log}({\rm{O}}/{\rm{H}})={7.90}_{-0.05}^{+0.04}$ . We also find that the carbon and neon abundances in JD1 are below the solar abundance ratio. Particularly the carbon under-abundance is suggestive of recent star formation where Type II supernovae have already enriched the interstellar medium (ISM) in oxygen but intermediate mass stars have not yet enriched the ISM in carbon. A recent burst of star formation is also revealed by the star formation history derived from NIRCam photometry. Our data do not reveal the presence of a significant amount of old populations, resulting in a factor of ∼7× smaller stellar mass than previous estimates. Thus, our data support the view that JD1 is a young galaxy.

High-redshift galaxies

Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters

ISSN: 2041-8205 (Print); 2041-8213 (Online)
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Astronomy: Astrophysics
Website: https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/2041-8205

About the journal

Abstract

Keywords