A recently quenched galaxy 700 million years after the Big Bang

Local and low-redshift (z < 3) galaxies are known to broadly follow a bimodal distribution: actively star-forming galaxies with relatively stable star-formation rates and passive systems. These two populations are connected by galaxies in relatively slow transition. By contrast, theory predicts t...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Looser, TJ, D’Eugenio, F, Maiolino, R, Witstok, J, Sandles, L, Curtis-Lake, E, Chevallard, J, Tacchella, S, Johnson, BD, Baker, WM, Suess, KA, Carniani, S, Ferruit, P, Arribas, S, Bonaventura, N, Bunker, AJ, Cameron, AJ, Charlot, S, Curti, M, de Graaff, A, Maseda, MV, Rawle, T, Rix, H, Del Pino, BR, Jones, GC, Saxena, A
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Nature Research 2024
_version_ 1817930878628659200
author Looser, TJ
D’Eugenio, F
Maiolino, R
Witstok, J
Sandles, L
Curtis-Lake, E
Chevallard, J
Tacchella, S
Johnson, BD
Baker, WM
Suess, KA
Carniani, S
Ferruit, P
Arribas, S
Bonaventura, N
Bunker, AJ
Cameron, AJ
Charlot, S
Curti, M
de Graaff, A
Maseda, MV
Rawle, T
Rix, H
Del Pino, BR
Jones, GC
Saxena, A
author_facet Looser, TJ
D’Eugenio, F
Maiolino, R
Witstok, J
Sandles, L
Curtis-Lake, E
Chevallard, J
Tacchella, S
Johnson, BD
Baker, WM
Suess, KA
Carniani, S
Ferruit, P
Arribas, S
Bonaventura, N
Bunker, AJ
Cameron, AJ
Charlot, S
Curti, M
de Graaff, A
Maseda, MV
Rawle, T
Rix, H
Del Pino, BR
Jones, GC
Saxena, A
author_sort Looser, TJ
collection OXFORD
description Local and low-redshift (z < 3) galaxies are known to broadly follow a bimodal distribution: actively star-forming galaxies with relatively stable star-formation rates and passive systems. These two populations are connected by galaxies in relatively slow transition. By contrast, theory predicts that star formation was stochastic at early cosmic times and in low-mass systems1–4. These galaxies transitioned rapidly between starburst episodes and phases of suppressed star formation, potentially even causing temporary quiescence—so-called mini-quenching events5, 6. However, the regime of star-formation burstiness is observationally highly unconstrained. Directly observing mini-quenched galaxies in the primordial Universe is therefore of utmost importance to constrain models of galaxy formation and transformation7, 8. Early quenched galaxies have been identified out to redshift z < 5 (refs. 9–12) and these are all found to be massive (M⋆ > 1010 M⊙) and relatively old. Here we report a (mini-)quenched galaxy at z = 7.3, when the Universe was only 700 Myr old. The JWST/NIRSpec spectrum is very blue (U–V = 0.16 ± 0.03 mag) but exhibits a Balmer break and no nebular emission lines. The galaxy experienced a short starburst followed by rapid quenching; its stellar mass (4–6 × 108 M⊙) falls in a range that is sensitive to various feedback mechanisms, which can result in perhaps only temporary quenching.
first_indexed 2024-09-25T04:14:51Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:0ac67ccf-6c45-4b95-b3c1-52000e815f15
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-09T03:13:07Z
publishDate 2024
publisher Nature Research
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:0ac67ccf-6c45-4b95-b3c1-52000e815f152024-10-16T09:12:09ZA recently quenched galaxy 700 million years after the Big BangJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:0ac67ccf-6c45-4b95-b3c1-52000e815f15EnglishJisc Publications RouterNature Research2024Looser, TJD’Eugenio, FMaiolino, RWitstok, JSandles, LCurtis-Lake, EChevallard, JTacchella, SJohnson, BDBaker, WMSuess, KACarniani, SFerruit, PArribas, SBonaventura, NBunker, AJCameron, AJCharlot, SCurti, Mde Graaff, AMaseda, MVRawle, TRix, HDel Pino, BRJones, GCSaxena, ALocal and low-redshift (z < 3) galaxies are known to broadly follow a bimodal distribution: actively star-forming galaxies with relatively stable star-formation rates and passive systems. These two populations are connected by galaxies in relatively slow transition. By contrast, theory predicts that star formation was stochastic at early cosmic times and in low-mass systems1–4. These galaxies transitioned rapidly between starburst episodes and phases of suppressed star formation, potentially even causing temporary quiescence—so-called mini-quenching events5, 6. However, the regime of star-formation burstiness is observationally highly unconstrained. Directly observing mini-quenched galaxies in the primordial Universe is therefore of utmost importance to constrain models of galaxy formation and transformation7, 8. Early quenched galaxies have been identified out to redshift z < 5 (refs. 9–12) and these are all found to be massive (M⋆ > 1010 M⊙) and relatively old. Here we report a (mini-)quenched galaxy at z = 7.3, when the Universe was only 700 Myr old. The JWST/NIRSpec spectrum is very blue (U–V = 0.16 ± 0.03 mag) but exhibits a Balmer break and no nebular emission lines. The galaxy experienced a short starburst followed by rapid quenching; its stellar mass (4–6 × 108 M⊙) falls in a range that is sensitive to various feedback mechanisms, which can result in perhaps only temporary quenching.
spellingShingle Looser, TJ
D’Eugenio, F
Maiolino, R
Witstok, J
Sandles, L
Curtis-Lake, E
Chevallard, J
Tacchella, S
Johnson, BD
Baker, WM
Suess, KA
Carniani, S
Ferruit, P
Arribas, S
Bonaventura, N
Bunker, AJ
Cameron, AJ
Charlot, S
Curti, M
de Graaff, A
Maseda, MV
Rawle, T
Rix, H
Del Pino, BR
Jones, GC
Saxena, A
A recently quenched galaxy 700 million years after the Big Bang
title A recently quenched galaxy 700 million years after the Big Bang
title_full A recently quenched galaxy 700 million years after the Big Bang
title_fullStr A recently quenched galaxy 700 million years after the Big Bang
title_full_unstemmed A recently quenched galaxy 700 million years after the Big Bang
title_short A recently quenched galaxy 700 million years after the Big Bang
title_sort recently quenched galaxy 700 million years after the big bang
work_keys_str_mv AT loosertj arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT deugeniof arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT maiolinor arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT witstokj arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT sandlesl arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT curtislakee arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT chevallardj arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT tacchellas arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT johnsonbd arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT bakerwm arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT suesska arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT carnianis arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT ferruitp arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT arribass arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT bonaventuran arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT bunkeraj arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT cameronaj arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT charlots arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT curtim arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT degraaffa arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT masedamv arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT rawlet arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT rixh arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT delpinobr arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT jonesgc arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT saxenaa arecentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT loosertj recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT deugeniof recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT maiolinor recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT witstokj recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT sandlesl recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT curtislakee recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT chevallardj recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT tacchellas recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT johnsonbd recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT bakerwm recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT suesska recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT carnianis recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT ferruitp recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT arribass recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT bonaventuran recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT bunkeraj recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT cameronaj recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT charlots recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT curtim recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT degraaffa recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT masedamv recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT rawlet recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT rixh recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT delpinobr recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT jonesgc recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang
AT saxenaa recentlyquenchedgalaxy700millionyearsafterthebigbang