MACS0647\(-\)JD is a triply-lensed \(z\sim11\) galaxy originally discovered with the Hubble Space Telescope. Here we report new JWST imaging, which clearly resolves MACS0647\(-\)JD as having two ...components that are either merging galaxies or stellar complexes within a single galaxy. Both are very small, with stellar masses \(\sim10^8\,M_\odot\) and radii \(r<100\,\rm pc\). The brighter larger component "A" is intrinsically very blue (\(\beta\sim-2.6\)), likely due to very recent star formation and no dust, and is spatially extended with an effective radius \(\sim70\,\rm pc\). The smaller component "B" appears redder (\(\beta\sim-2\)), likely because it is older (\(100-200\,\rm Myr\)) with mild dust extinction (\(A_V\sim0.1\,\rm mag\)), and a smaller radius \(\sim20\,\rm pc\). We identify galaxies with similar colors in a high-redshift simulation, finding their star formation histories to be out of phase. With an estimated stellar mass ratio of roughly 2:1 and physical projected separation \(\sim400\,\rm pc\), we may be witnessing a galaxy merger 400 million years after the Big Bang. We also identify a candidate companion galaxy C \(\sim3\,{\rm kpc}\) away, likely destined to merge with galaxies A and B. The combined light from galaxies A+B is magnified by factors of \(\sim\)8, 5, and 2 in three lensed images JD1, 2, and 3 with F356W fluxes \(\sim322\), \(203\), \(86\,\rm nJy\) (AB mag 25.1, 25.6, 26.6). MACS0647\(-\)JD is significantly brighter than other galaxies recently discovered at similar redshifts with JWST. Without magnification, it would have AB mag 27.3 (\(M_{UV}=-20.4\)). With a high confidence level, we obtain a photometric redshift of \(z=10.6\pm0.3\) based on photometry measured in 6 NIRCam filters spanning \(1-5\rm\mu m\), out to \(4300\,Å\) rest-frame. JWST NIRSpec observations planned for January 2023 will deliver a spectroscopic redshift and a more detailed study of the physical properties of MACS0647\(-\)JD.
In 1964, Refsdal hypothesized that a supernova whose light traversed multiple paths around a strong gravitational lens could be used to measure the rate of cosmic expansion. We report the discovery ...of such a system. In Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we have found four images of a single supernova forming an Einstein cross configuration around a redshift z=0.54 elliptical galaxy in the MACS J1149.6+2223 cluster. The cluster's gravitational potential also creates multiple images of the z=1.49 spiral supernova host galaxy, and a future appearance of the supernova elsewhere in the cluster field is expected. The magnifications and staggered arrivals of the supernova images probe the cosmic expansion rate, as well as the distribution of matter in the galaxy and cluster lenses.
The assembly of galaxies can be described by the distribution of their star formation as a function of cosmic time. Thanks to the WFC3 grism on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) it is now possible to ...measure this beyond the local Universe. Here we present the spatial distribution of H emission for a sample of 54 strongly star-forming galaxies at z 1 in the 3D-HST Treasury survey. By stacking the H emission, we find that star formation occurred in approximately exponential distributions at z approximately 1, with a median Sersic index of n = 1.0 +/- 0.2. The stacks are elongated with median axis ratios of b/a = 0.58 +/- 0.09 in H consistent with (possibly thick) disks at random orientation angles. Keck spectra obtained for a subset of eight of the galaxies show clear evidence for rotation, with inclination corrected velocities of 90.330 km s(exp 1-). The most straightforward interpretation of our results is that star formation in strongly star-forming galaxies at z approximately 1 generally occurred in disks. The disks appear to be scaled-up versions of nearby spiral galaxies: they have EW(H alpha) at approximately 100 A out to the solar orbit and they have star formation surface densities above the threshold for driving galactic scale winds.
The assembly of galaxies can be described by the distribution of their star formation as a function of cosmic time.Thanks to the WFC3 grism on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) it is now possible to ...measure this beyond thelocal Universe. Here we present the spatial distribution of H emission for a sample of 54 strongly star-forming-galaxies at z~1 in the 3D-HST Treasury survey. By stacking the Halpha emission, we find that star formation occurredin approximately exponential distributions at z~1, with a median Sersic index of n=1.0 plus or minus 0.2. The stacks areelongated with median axis ratios of b/a 0.58 plus or minus 0.09 in Halpha consistent with (possibly thick) disks at randomorientation angles. Keck spectra obtained for a subset of eight of the galaxies show clear evidence for rotation, withinclination corrected velocities of 90-330 km per second. The most straightforward interpretation of our results is that starformation in strongly star-forming galaxies at z~1 generally occurred in disks. The disks appear to be scaled-upversions of nearby spiral galaxies: they have EW(Halpha)~100 Angstroms out to the solar orbit and they have star formation surface densities above the threshold for driving galactic scale winds.
We investigate the evolution of the Halpha equivalent width, EW(Halpha), with redshift and its dependence on stellar mass, taking advantage of the first data from the 3D-HST survey, a large ...spectroscopic Treasury program with the Hubble Space Telescope WFC3. Combining our Halpha measurements of 854 galaxies at 0.8<z<1.5 with those of ground based surveys at lower and higher redshift, we can consistently determine the evolution of the EW(Halpha) distribution from z=0 to z=2.2. We find that at all masses the characteristic EW(Halpha) is decreasing towards the present epoch, and that at each redshift the EW(Halpha) is lower for high-mass galaxies. We measure a slope of EW(Halpha) ~ (1+z)^(1.8) with little mass dependence. Qualitatively, this measurement is a model-independent confirmation of the evolution of star forming galaxies with redshift. A quantitative conversion of EW(Halpha) to sSFR is very model dependent, because of differential reddening corrections between the continuum SED and the Balmer lines. The observed EW(Halpha) can be reproduced with a simple model in which the SFR for galaxies rises to the epoch of z~2.5 and then decreases with time to z = 0. The model implies that the EW(Halpha) rises to 400 A at z=8. The sSFR evolves faster than EW(Halpha), as the mass-to-light ratio also evolves with redshift. In this context, we find that the sSFR evolves as (1+z)^(3.2), nearly independent of mass, consistent with previous reddening insensitive estimates. We confirm previous results that the observed slope of the sSFR-z relation is steeper than the one predicted by models, but models and observations agree in finding little mass dependence.
We investigate the build-up of galaxies at z~1 using maps of Halpha and stellar continuum emission for a sample of 57 galaxies with rest-frame Halpha equivalent widths >100 Angstroms in the 3D-HST ...grism survey. We find that the Halpha emission broadly follows the rest-frame R-band light but that it is typically somewhat more extended and clumpy. We quantify the spatial distribution with the half-light radius. The median Halpha effective radius r_e(Halpha) is 4.2+-0.1 kpc but the sizes span a large range, from compact objects with r_e(Halpha) ~ 1.0 kpc to extended disks with r_e(Halpha) ~ 15 kpc. Comparing Halpha sizes to continuum sizes, we find <r_e(Halpha)/r_e(R)>=1.3+-0.1 for the full sample. That is, star formation, as traced by Halpha, typically occurs out to larger radii than the rest-frame R-band stellar continuum; galaxies are growing their radii and building up from the inside out. This effect appears to be somewhat more pronounced for the largest galaxies. Using the measured Halpha sizes, we derive star formation rate surface densities. We find that they range from ~0.05 Msun yr^{-1} kpc^{-2} for the largest galaxies to ~5 Msun yr^{-1} kpc^{-2} for the smallest galaxies, implying a large range in physical conditions in rapidly star-forming z~1 galaxies. Finally, we infer that all galaxies in the sample have very high gas mass fractions and stellar mass doubling times < 500 Myr. Although other explanations are also possible, a straightforward interpretation is that we are simultaneously witnessing the rapid formation of compact bulges and large disks at z~1.
We present first results from the 3D-HST program, a near-IR spectroscopic survey performed with the Wide Field Camera 3 on the Hubble Space Telescope. We have used 3D-HST spectra to measure redshifts ...and Halpha equivalent widths for a stellar mass-limited sample of 34 galaxies at 1<z<1.5 with M(stellar)>10^11 M(sun) in the COSMOS, GOODS, and AEGIS fields. We find that a substantial fraction of massive galaxies at this epoch are forming stars at a high rate: the fraction of galaxies with Halpha equivalent widths >10 A is 59%, compared to 10% among SDSS galaxies of similar masses at z=0.1. Galaxies with weak Halpha emission show absorption lines typical of 2-4 Gyr old stellar populations. The structural parameters of the galaxies, derived from the associated WFC3 F140W imaging data, correlate with the presence of Halpha: quiescent galaxies are compact with high Sersic index and high inferred velocity dispersion, whereas star-forming galaxies are typically large two-armed spiral galaxies, with low Sersic index. Some of these star forming galaxies might be progenitors of the most massive S0 and Sa galaxies. Our results challenge the idea that galaxies at fixed mass form a homogeneous population with small scatter in their properties. Instead we find that massive galaxies form a highly diverse population at z>1, in marked contrast to the local Universe.
