Logo image
Ultrahigh-redshift or closer-by, dust-obscured galaxies? Deciphering the nature of faint, previously missed F200W dropouts in CEERS
期刊文章   同儕審查

Ultrahigh-redshift or closer-by, dust-obscured galaxies? Deciphering the nature of faint, previously missed F200W dropouts in CEERS

G. Gandolfi, G. Rodighiero, L. Bisigello, A. Grazian, S. L. Finkelstein, M. Dickinson, M. Castellano, E. Merlin, A. Calabro, C. Papovich, …
Astronomy and astrophysics (Berlin), 卷.708, 頁.A195
01/04/2026
Web of Science ID: WOS:001739942800001

摘要

Astronomy & Astrophysics Physical Sciences Science & Technology
Context. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is revolutionizing our understanding of the Universe by unveiling faint, near-infrared dropouts previously beyond our reach, ranging from exceptionally dusty sources to galaxies up to redshift z similar to 14. Aims. In this paper, we identify F200W-dropout objects in the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey that are absent from existing catalogs. Our selection method can effectively identify obscured low-mass (logM(*)/M-circle dot <= 9) objects at z <= 6, massive dust-rich sources up to z similar to 12, and ultrahigh-redshift (z > 15) candidates. Our goal is to uncover promising targets for further studies using deep mid-infrared imaging and/or spectroscopic follow-ups. Methods. We utilize two photometric catalogs optimized for detecting faint, red objects. Primarily relying on NIRCam photometry from the latest CEERS data release and supplementing with mid-infrared/(sub)millimeter data when available, our analysis pipeline combines multiple SED-fitting codes, star formation histories, and the novel CosMix tool for astronomical stacking to maximize available photometric information. Results. Our work highlights three 2 < z < 3 dusty dwarf galaxies that have higher masses compared to the typical dusty dwarfs previously identified in CEERS. Additionally, we reveal five faint sources with a significant probability of lying above z > 15, with best-fit masses compatible with Lambda cold dark matter and a standard baryon-to-star conversion efficiency. We exploit these candidates to compute the z similar to 17 UV luminosity function, finding estimates in good agreement with other similar studies. Their bimodal redshift probability distributions suggest they could also be z < 1.5 dwarf galaxies with extreme dust extinction. We also identify a strong line emitter galaxy at z similar to 5 mimicking the near-infrared emission of a z similar to 13 galaxy. Conclusions. Our sample holds promising candidates for future follow-ups. Confirming ultrahigh-redshift galaxies or lower-redshift dusty dwarfs will offer valuable insights into early galaxy formation, evolution with their central black holes and the nature of dark matter, and/or cosmic dust production mechanisms in low-mass galaxies, and will help us to understand degeneracies and contamination in high-redshift object searches.

檔案與連結 (1)

url
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202554009檢視
已出版(紀錄版本) 開放

相關連結

詳細資料

Logo image