Skip to main content
Nubint
QUICK REVIEW

[论文解读] Efficient NIRCam Selection of Quiescent Galaxies at 3 < z < 6 in CEERS

Arianna S. Long, Jacqueline Antwi-Danso|arXiv (Cornell University)|May 8, 2023
Astronomy and Astrophysical Research被引用 12
一句话总结

论文在 F150W、F277W 与 F444W 波段提出了一种经验性的 NIRCam 颜色选择，用于在 CEERS 场高效识别 z>3 的大质量静止星系，得到 44 个候选对象并获得稳健的密度估计。

ABSTRACT

Substantial populations of massive quiescent galaxies at $z\ge3$ challenge our understanding of rapid galaxy growth and quenching over short timescales. In order to piece together this evolutionary puzzle, more statistical samples of these objects are required. Established techniques for identifying massive quiescent galaxies are increasingly inefficient and unconstrained at $z>3$. As a result, studies report that as much as 70\% of quiescent galaxies at $z>3$ may be missed from existing surveys. In this work, we propose a new empirical color selection technique designed to select massive quiescent galaxies at $3\lesssim z \lesssim 6$ using JWST NIRCam imaging data. We use empirically-constrained galaxy SED templates to define a region in the $F277W-F444W$ vs. $F150W-F277W$ color plane that captures quiescent galaxies at $z>3$. We apply this color selection criteria to the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) Survey and identify 44 candidate $z\gtrsim3$ quiescent galaxies. Over half of these sources are newly discovered and, on average, exhibit specific star formation rates of post-starburst galaxies. We derive volume density estimates of $n\sim1-4 imes10^{-5}$\,Mpc$^{-3}$ at $3< z <5$, finding excellent agreement with existing reports on similar populations in the CEERS field. Thanks to NIRCam's wavelength coverage and sensitivity, this technique provides an efficient tool to search for large samples of these rare galaxies.

研究动机与目标

  • Motivate the need to identify massive quiescent galaxies at z>3 to test rapid quenching in the early universe.
  • Develop a JWST NIRCam color selection method that minimizes contamination while capturing post-starburst and evolved quiescent systems.
  • Test the method on CEERS data and assess completeness, contamination, and redshift distribution of selected candidates.
  • Quantify number densities of quiescent galaxies in redshift bins and compare with existing literature.

提出的方法

  • Define a three-band NIRCam color space using F150W, F277W, and F444W to bracket the Balmer/Dn(4000) break for 3<z<5 galaxies.
  • Construct and test two wedge regions in the color space (short wedge and long wedge) to balance completeness and contamination.
  • Use empirically constrained SED templates (including z>3 quiescent and post-starburst galaxies, and DSFGs) to map their locus in color space.
  • Apply SED fitting with cigale to derive photometric redshifts, sSFRs, and physical properties under a Chabrier IMF and Calzetti dust law.
  • Perform Monte Carlo realizations of redshifts to estimate uncertainties in number densities across redshift bins.]
  • research_questions: ["Can a simple NIRCam color-space wedge efficiently select z>3 quiescent galaxies using only three bands?","What is the trade-off between completeness and contamination for short versus long wedge definitions?","How do the identified candidates compare with previously published z>3 quiescent samples in CEERS?","What are the resulting number densities of quiescent galaxies in 2.5<z<5 and how do they align with literature estimates?"]
  • key_findings:[
Figure 1: Left: $F277W-F444W$ vs. $F150W-F277W$ colors for well-constrained galaxy SED templates. The black line marks the “short” wedge boundaries, while the dashed line marks the “long” wedge extension. The former is less complete but also has fewer contaminants, while the latter captures most qui
Figure 1: Left: $F277W-F444W$ vs. $F150W-F277W$ colors for well-constrained galaxy SED templates. The black line marks the “short” wedge boundaries, while the dashed line marks the “long” wedge extension. The former is less complete but also has fewer contaminants, while the latter captures most qui

实验结果

研究问题

  • RQ1Can a simple NIRCam color-space wedge efficiently select z>3 quiescent galaxies using only three bands?
  • RQ2What is the trade-off between completeness and contamination for short versus long wedge definitions?
  • RQ3How do the identified candidates compare with previously published z>3 quiescent samples in CEERS?
  • RQ4What are the resulting number densities of quiescent galaxies in 2.5<z<5 and how do they align with literature estimates?

主要发现

  • Identified 44 quiescent galaxy candidates at 2.5<z<6 in CEERS using the color wedges with SNR≥3 in all three bands.
  • Median redshift of the sample is z~3.5 with a median stellar mass of ~3×10^10 M⊙ and median log10(sSFR/yr)≈−11.2.
  • The short wedge yields 30 candidates; the long wedge yields 45 candidates (82 in common with the short wedge, 15 additional).
  • The recovered fraction of prior CEERS quiescent candidates is high (14/15 from Carnall et al. 2023; 18/22 from Pérez-González et al. 2022 within SNR cuts; 19/24 from Valentino et al. 2023 within the long wedge).
  • Derived number densities n ≈ 1–4×10^−5 Mpc^−3 for 3<z<5, in agreement with Carnall et al. (2023) and higher than Valentino et al. (2023) by ~3–5×.
Figure 2: $F277W-F444W$ vs. $F150W-F277W$ colors for $2.5<z<5$ quiescent galaxy candidates detected in CEERS using the proposed color selection method (including $z_{\mathrm{phot}}\geq 2.5$ and log 10 (sSFR/yr) $\lesssim-10$ ). Interlopers in this color space are further described in Section 4.4 and
Figure 2: $F277W-F444W$ vs. $F150W-F277W$ colors for $2.5<z<5$ quiescent galaxy candidates detected in CEERS using the proposed color selection method (including $z_{\mathrm{phot}}\geq 2.5$ and log 10 (sSFR/yr) $\lesssim-10$ ). Interlopers in this color space are further described in Section 4.4 and

更好的研究，从现在开始

从论文设计到论文写作，大幅缩短您的研究时间。

无需绑定信用卡

本解读由 AI 生成，并经人工编辑审核。