Stellar bars are key drivers of secular evolution in galaxies and can be effectively studied using rest-frame near-infrared (NIR) images, which trace the underlying stellar mass and are less impacted by dust and star formation than rest-frame UV or optical images. We leverage the power of JWST CEERS NIRCam images to present the first quantitative identification and characterization of stellar bars at z > 1 based on rest-frame NIR F444W images of high resolution (similar to 1.3 kpc at z similar to 1-3). We identify stellar bars in these images using quantitative criteria based on ellipse fits. For this pilot study, we present six examples of robustly identified bars at z > 1 with spectroscopic redshifts, including the two highest-redshift bars at z similar to 2.136 and 2.312 quantitatively identified and characterized to date. The stellar bars at z similar to 1.1-2.3 presented in our study have projected semimajor axes of similar to 2.9-4.3 kpc and projected ellipticities of similar to 0.41-0.53 in the rest-frame NIR. The barred host galaxies have stellar masses similar to 1 x 10(10) to 2 x 10(11) M (circle dot) and star formation rates of similar to 21-295 M (circle dot) yr(-1), and several have potential nearby companions. Our finding of bars at z similar to 1.1-2.3 demonstrates the early onset of such instabilities and supports simulations where bars form early in massive dynamically cold disks. It also suggests that if these bars at lookback times of 8-11 Gyr survive out to present epochs, bar-driven secular processes may operate over a long time and have a significant impact on some galaxies by z similar to 0.
- First Look at z 1 Bars in the Rest-frame Near-infrared with JWST Early CEERS Imaging
- Yuchen Guo - The University of Texas at AustinShardha Jogee - The University of Texas at AustinSteven L. Finkelstein - The University of Texas at AustinZilei Chen - The University of Texas at AustinEden Wise - The University of Texas at AustinMicaela B. Bagley - The University of Texas at AustinGuillermo Barro - University of the PacificStijn Wuyts - University of BathDale D. Kocevski - Colby CollegeJeyhan S. Kartaltepe - Rochester Institute of TechnologyElizabeth J. McGrath - Colby CollegeHenry C. Ferguson - Space Telescope Science InstituteBahram Mobasher - University of California, RiversideMauro Giavalisco - University of Massachusetts AmherstRay A. Lucas - Space Telescope Science InstituteJorge A. Zavala - National Astronomical Observatory of JapanJennifer M. Lotz - NSF NOIRLabNorman A. Grogin - Space Telescope Science InstituteMarc Huertas-Company - Inst Astrofis Canarias, Tenerife, SpainJesus Vega-Ferrero - Universidad de La LagunaNimish P. Hathi - Space Telescope Science InstitutePablo Arrabal Haro - Space Telescope Science InstituteMark Dickinson - NSF NOIRLabAnton M. Koekemoer - Space Telescope Science InstituteCasey Papovich - Space Telescope Science InstituteNor Pirzkal - Space Telescope Science InstituteL. Y. Aaron Yung - NASA Goddard Space Flight Ctr, Astrophys Sci Div, 8800 Greenbelt Rd, Greenbelt, MD 20771 USABren E. Backhaus - Goddard Space Flight CenterEric F. Bell - University of MichiganAntonello Calabro - University of MichiganNikko J. Cleri - Astronomical Observatory of RomeRosemary T. Coogan - Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueM. C. Cooper - Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueLuca Costantin - University of California, IrvineDarren Croton - ASTRO-3DKelcey Davis - University of ConnecticutAvishai Dekel - University of ConnecticutMaximilien Franco - Hebrew University of JerusalemJonathan P. Gardner - Goddard Space Flight CenterBenne W. Holwerda - Goddard Space Flight CenterTaylor A. Hutchison - Goddard Space Flight CenterViraj Pandya - Goddard Space Flight CenterPablo G. Perez-Gonzalez - Centro de AstrobiologíaSwara Ravindranath - Space Telescope Science InstituteCaitlin Rose - Space Telescope Science InstituteJonathan R. Trump - University of ConnecticutAlexander de la Vega - University of California, RiversideWeichen Wang - University of California, Riverside
- IOP Publishing Ltd
- 13
- Roland K. Blumberg EndowmentRoland K. Blumberg Endowment in Astronomy and Heising-Simons Foundation 2017-0464 / NASA through STScI ERS award
- Journal article
- 01/03/2023
- Astrophysical journal. Letters, Vol.945(1), p.L10
- English