Search

With JWST, new opportunities to study the evolution of galaxies in the early Universe are emerging. Spitzer constraints on rest-optical properties of $z\gtrsim7$ galaxies demonstrated the power of using galaxy stellar masses and star formation histories (SFHs) to indirectly infer the cosmic star formation history. However, only the brightest individual $z\gtrsim8$ objects could be detected with Spitzer, making it difficult to robustly constrain activity at $z\gtrsim10$. Here, we leverage the greatly improved rest-optical sensitivity of JWST at $z\gtrsim8$ to constrain the ages of seven UV-bright ($M_{UV}\lesssim-19.5$) galaxies selected to lie at $z\sim8.5-11$, then investigate implications for $z\gtrsim15$ star formation. We infer the properties of individual objects with two spectral energy distribution modelling codes, then infer a distribution of ages for bright $z\sim8.5-11$ galaxies. We find a median age of $\sim20$ Myr, younger than that inferred at $z\sim7$ with a similar analysis, consistent with an evolution towards larger specific star formation rates at early times. The age distribution suggests that only $\sim3$ percent of bright $z\sim8.5-11$ galaxies would be similarly luminous at $z\gtrsim15$, implying that the number density of bright galaxies declines by at least an order of magnitude between $z\sim8.5-11$ and $z\sim15$. This evolution is challenging to reconcile with some early JWST results suggesting the abundance of bright galaxies does not significantly decrease towards very early times, but we suggest this tension may be eased if young stellar populations form on top of older stellar components, or if bright $z\sim15$ galaxies are observed during a burst of star formation., 16 pages, 10 figures, 1 appendix, accepted to MNRAS

The onset of the {\it JWST}-era provides a much-improved opportunity to characterize the resolved structure of early star forming systems. Previous {\it Spitzer} observations of $z\gtrsim 6$ galaxies revealed the presence of old stars and luminous HII regions (via [OIII]+H$\beta$ emission), but the poor resolution stunted our ability to map their locations with respect to the star forming regions identified in the rest-UV. In this paper, we investigate the internal structure of 12 of the most luminous $z\simeq 6-8$ galaxies in the EGS field observed with recent {\it JWST}/NIRCam imaging. The systems appear clumpy in the rest-UV, with more than half of the light coming from $\simeq 10^7$ to 10$^{9}$ M$_\odot$ star forming complexes that are $\simeq 150$ - 480 pc in size. The clumps tend to be dominated by young stars (median = 36 Myr), but we also find large variations in clump ages within individual galaxies. The [OIII]+H$\beta$ EW varies significantly across individual galaxies (reflecting differences in stellar and gas properties), but the HII regions largely track the UV-bright complexes. Perhaps surprisingly, the rest-optical continuum is just as clumpy as the UV, and we do not find older (and redder) nuclear stellar components that were previously undetected or faint in the UV. The majority of the stellar mass in bright $6, Comment: main text 12 pages, 7 figures; accepted for publication by MNRAS

Reionisation-era galaxies often display intense nebular emission lines, both in rest-frame optical ([OIII]+H$\beta$) and ultraviolet (UV; CIII], CIV). How such strong nebular emission is powered remains unclear, with both active galactic nuclei (AGN) and hot stars considered equally viable. The UV continuum slopes of these early systems tend to be very blue ($\beta-1$) than typical star-forming systems in the reionisation era. To investigate the properties of AGN in the reionisation era, we have conducted a search for potential examples of rare analogues with blue continua at intermediate redshift ($z\sim2-3$). Our goals are to determine whether AGN with intense line emission and blue continua exist and thereby to establish the range of rest-frame UV and optical line ratios in this population. In this paper we report the detection of a X-ray luminous AGN at $z=3.21$ (UDS-24561) with extreme [OIII]+H$\beta$ line emission (EW $=1300$ \r{A}) and a blue UV continuum slope ($\beta=-2.34$). MMT/Binospec and Keck/MOSFIRE spectra indicate rest-frame UV line ratios consistent with AGN photoionisation models and rest-frame optical lines with both a narrow component (FWHM $=154$ km$/$s) and extended broad wings (FWHM $=977$ km$/$s), consistent with outflowing gas. We describe how such objects can be identified in future JWST emission line surveys in the reionisation era, thereby providing a valuable census of AGN activity at $z>6$ and understanding their contribution to cosmic reionisation., Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, accepted by MNRAS

We present band 6 ALMA observations of a heavily-obscured radio-loud ($L_{1.4\ \mathrm{GHz}}=10^{25.4}$ W Hz$^{-1}$) AGN candidate at $z_\mathrm{phot}=6.83\pm0.06$ found in the 1.5 deg$^2$ COSMOS field. The ALMA data reveal detections of exceptionally strong [CII]158$\mu$m ($z_\mathrm{[CII]}=6.8532$) and underlying dust continuum emission from this object (COS-87259), where the [CII] line luminosity, line width, and 158$\mu$m continuum luminosity are comparable to that seen from $z\sim7$ sub-mm galaxies and quasar hosts. The 158$\mu$m continuum detection suggests a total infrared luminosity of $9\times10^{12}$ $L_\odot$ with corresponding very large obscured star formation rate (1300 $M_\odot$/yr) and dust mass ($2\times10^9$ $M_\odot$). The strong break seen between the VIRCam and IRAC photometry perhaps suggests that COS-87259 is an extremely massive reionization era galaxy with $M_\ast\approx1.7\times10^{11}$ $M_\odot$. Moreover, the MIPS, PACS, and SPIRE detections imply that this object harbors an AGN that is heavily obscured ($\tau_{_{\mathrm{9.7\mu m}}}=2.3$) with a bolometric luminosity of approximately $5\times10^{13}$ $L_\odot$. Such a very high AGN luminosity suggests this object is powered by an $\approx$1.6 $\times$ 10$^9$ $M_\odot$ black hole if accreting near the Eddington limit, and is effectively a highly-obscured version of an extremely UV-luminous ($M_{1450}\approx-27.3$) $z\sim7$ quasar. Notably, these $z\sim7$ quasars are an exceedingly rare population ($\sim$0.001 deg$^{-2}$) while COS-87259 was identified over a relatively small field. Future very wide-area surveys with, e.g., Roman and Euclid have the potential to identify many more extremely red yet UV-bright $z\gtrsim7$ objects similar to COS-87259, providing richer insight into the occurrence of intense obscured star formation and supermassive black hole growth among this population., Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, 1 table. Updated to accepted version (MNRAS)

Deep spectroscopy of galaxies in the reionization-era has revealed intense CIII] and CIV line emission (EW $>15-20$ \r{A}). In order to interpret the nebular emission emerging at $z>6$, we have begun targeting rest-frame UV emission lines in galaxies with large specific star formation rates (sSFRs) at $1.36$ only in large sSFR galaxies with [OIII]+H$\beta$ EW $>1500$ \r{A}. In contrast to previous studies, we find that many galaxies with intense [OIII] have weak CIII] emission (EW $=5-8$ \r{A}), suggesting that the radiation field associated with young stellar populations is not sufficient to power strong CIII]. Photoionization models demonstrate that the spread in CIII] among systems with large sSFRs ([OIII]+H$\beta$ EW $>1500$ \r{A}) is driven by variations in metallicity, a result of the extreme sensitivity of CIII] to electron temperature. We find that the strong CIII] emission seen at $z>6$ (EW $>15$ \r{A}) requires metal poor gas ($\simeq0.1\ Z_\odot$) whereas the weaker CIII] emission in our sample tends to be found at moderate metallicities ($\simeq0.3\ Z_\odot$). The luminosity distribution of the CIII] emitters in our $z\simeq1-3$ sample presents a consistent picture, with stronger emission generally linked to low luminosity systems ($M_{\rm{UV}}>-19.5$) where low metallicities are more likely. We quantify the fraction of strong CIII] and CIV emitters at $z\simeq1-3$, providing a baseline for comparison against $z>6$ samples. We suggest that the first UV line detections at $z>6$ can be explained if a significant fraction of the early galaxy population is found at large sSFR ($>200$ Gyr$^{-1}$) and low metallicity ($, Comment: 21 pages, 10 figures, accepted by MNRAS

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is expected to observe galaxies at $z>10$ that are presently inaccessible. Here, we use a self-consistent empirical model, the UniverseMachine, to generate mock galaxy catalogues and lightcones over the redshift range $z=0-15$. These data include realistic galaxy properties (stellar masses, star formation rates, and UV luminosities), galaxy-halo relationships, and galaxy-galaxy clustering. Mock observables are also provided for different model parameters spanning observational uncertainties at $z10^7 M_\odot$ and/or $M_{1500}12$ expand dramatically, so efforts to detect $z>12$ galaxies will provide the most valuable constraints on galaxy formation models. The faint-end slopes of the stellar mass/luminosity functions at a given mass/luminosity threshold steepen as redshift increases. This is because observable galaxies are hosted by haloes in the exponentially falling regime of the halo mass function at high redshifts. Hence, these faint-end slopes are robustly predicted to become shallower below current observable limits ($M_\ast < 10^7M_\odot$ or $M_\mathrm{1500}>-17$). For reionization models, extrapolating luminosity functions with a constant faint-end slope from $M_{1500}=-17$ down to $M_{1500}=-12$ gives the most reasonable upper limit for the total UV luminosity and cosmic star formation rate up to $z\sim 12$. We compare to three other empirical models and one semi-analytic model, showing that the range of predicted observables from our approach encompasses predictions from other techniques. Public catalogues and lightcones for common fields are available online., Comment: 17 pages, MNRAS submitted. Catalogs and lightcones available at https://www.peterbehroozi.com/data.html

We report 18 dust continuum detections ($\geq 3.3\sigma$) at $\sim88{\rm \mu m}$ and $158{\rm \mu m}$ out of 49 ultraviolet(UV)-bright galaxies ($M_{\rm UV} < -21.3$ mag) at $z>6.5$, observed by the Cycle-7 ALMA Large Program, REBELS and its pilot programs. This has more than tripled the number of dust continuum detections known at $z>6.5$. Out of these 18 detections, 12 are reported for the first time as part of REBELS. In addition, 15 of the dust continuum detected galaxies also show a [CII]$_{\rm 158{\rm \mu m}}$ emission line, providing us with accurate redshifts. We anticipate more line emission detections from six targets (including three continuum detected targets) where observations are still ongoing. The dust continuum detected sources in our sample tend to have a redder UV spectral slope than the ones without a dust continuum detection. We estimate that all of the sources have an infrared (IR) luminosity ($L_{\rm IR}$) in a range of $3-8 \times 10^{11} L_\odot$, except for one with $L_{\rm IR} = 1.5^{+0.8}_{-0.5} \times 10^{12}\,L_{\odot}$. Their fraction of obscured star formation is significant at $\gtrsim 50\%$. Some of the dust continuum detected galaxies show spatial offsets ($\sim 0.5-1.5''$) between the rest-UV and far-IR emission peaks. These separations appear to have an increasing trend against an indicator that suggests spatially decoupled phases of obscured and unobscured star formation. REBELS offers the best available statistical constraints on obscured star formation in UV-bright, massive galaxies at $z > 6.5$., Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables, Accepted for publication in MNRAS

The variety of star formation histories (SFHs) of $z\gtrsim6$ galaxies provides important insights into early star formation, but has been difficult to systematically quantify. Some observations suggest that many $z\sim6-9$ galaxies are dominated by $\gtrsim200$ Myr stellar populations, implying significant star formation at $z\gtrsim9$, while others find that most reionization era galaxies are $\lesssim10$ Myr, consistent with little $z\gtrsim9$ star formation. Here, we quantify the distribution of ages of UV-bright ($-22.5\lesssim M_{UV}\lesssim-21$) galaxies colour-selected to lie at $z\simeq6.6-6.9$, an ideal redshift range to systematically study the SFHs of reionization era galaxies with ground-based observatories and Spitzer. We infer galaxy properties with two SED modelling codes and compare results, finding that stellar masses are largely insensitive to the model, but the inferred ages can vary by an order of magnitude. We infer a distribution of ages assuming a simple, parametric SFH model, finding a median age of $\sim30-70$ Myr depending on SED model. We quantify the fractions of $\leq10$ Myr and $\geq250$ Myr galaxies, finding that these systems comprise $\sim15-30$ percent and $\sim20-25$ percent of the population, respectively. With a flexible SFH model, the shapes of the SFHs are consistent with those implied by the simple model (e.g. young galaxies have rapidly rising SFHs). However, stellar masses can differ significantly, with those of young systems sometimes being more than an order of magnitude larger with the flexible SFH. We quantify the implications of these results for $z\gtrsim9$ stellar mass assembly and discuss improvements expected from JWST., Comment: 24 pages, 20 figures, 2 appendices, accepted to MNRAS

The ultraviolet (UV) continuum slope ($\beta~$where$~f_\lambda\propto\lambda^\beta$) of galaxies is sensitive to a variety of properties, from the metallicity and age of the stellar population to dust attenuation throughout the galaxy. Considerable attention has focused on identifying reionization-era galaxies with very blue UV slopes ($\beta7$., Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables; Accepted to ApJ

Recent work has shown that UV-luminous reionization-era galaxies often exhibit strong Lyman-alpha emission despite being situated at redshifts where the IGM is thought to be substantially neutral. It has been argued that this enhanced Ly α transmission reflects the presence of massive galaxies in overdense regions which power large ionized bubbles. An alternative explanation is that massive galaxies shift more of their Ly α profile to large velocities (relative to the systemic redshift) where the IGM damping wing absorption is reduced. Such a mass-dependent trend is seen at lower redshifts, but whether one exists at z ∼ 7 remains unclear owing to the small number of existing systemic redshift measurements in the reionization era. This is now changing with the emergence of [C ii]-based redshifts from ALMA. Here, we report MMT/Binospec Ly α spectroscopy of eight UV-bright (MUV ∼ −22) galaxies at z ≃ 7 selected from the ALMA REBELS survey. We detect Ly α in four of eight galaxies and use the [C ii] systemic redshifts to investigate the Ly α velocity profiles. The Ly α lines are significantly redshifted from systemic (average velocity offset = 223 km s–1) and broad (FWHM ≈ 300–650 km s−1), with two sources showing emission extending to ≈750 km s−1. We find that the broadest Ly α profiles are associated with the largest [C ii] line widths, suggesting a potential link between the Ly α FWHM and the dynamical mass. Since Ly α photons at high velocities transmit efficiently through the z = 7 IGM, our data suggest that velocity profiles play a significant role in boosting the Ly α visibility of the most UV-luminous reionization-era galaxies.

We present specific star-formation rates for 40 UV-bright galaxies at $z\sim7-8$ observed as part of the Reionization Era Bright Emission Line Survey (REBELS) ALMA large program. The sSFRs are derived using improved measures of SFR and stellar masses, made possible by measurements of far-infrared (FIR) continuum emission and [CII]-based spectroscopic redshifts. For each source in the sample, we derive stellar masses from SED fitting and total SFRs from calibrations of the UV and FIR emission. The median sSFR is $18_{-5}^{+7}$ Gyr$^{-1}$, significantly larger than literature measurements lacking constraints in the FIR. The increase in sSFR reflects the larger obscured SFRs we derive from the dust continuum relative to that implied by the UV+optical SED. We suggest that such differences may reflect spatial variations in dust across these luminous galaxies, with the component dominating the FIR distinct from that dominating the UV. We demonstrate that the inferred stellar masses (and hence sSFRs) are strongly-dependent on the assumed star formation history (SFH) in reionization-era galaxies. When large sSFR galaxies are modeled with non-parametric SFHs, the derived stellar masses can increase by an order of magnitude relative to constant star formation models, owing to the presence of a significant old stellar population that is outshined by the recent burst. The [CII] line widths in the largest sSFR systems are often very broad, suggesting dynamical masses that are easily able to accommodate the dominant old stellar population suggested by non-parametric models. Regardless of these systematic uncertainties in the derived parameters, we find that the sSFR increases rapidly toward higher redshifts for massive galaxies ($9.6, 18 pages, 10 figures, submitted to MNRAS

We report the identification of radio (0.144-3 GHz), mid-IR, far-IR, and sub-mm (24-850$\mu$m) emission at the position of one of 41 UV-bright (M$_\mathrm{UV}^{}\lesssim-21.25$) $z\simeq6.6-6.9$ Lyman-break galaxy candidates in the 1.5 deg$^2$ COSMOS field. This source, COS-87259, exhibits a sharp flux discontinuity (factor $>$3) between two narrow/intermediate bands at 9450 and 9700 Angstroms and is undetected in all nine bands blueward of 9600 Angstroms, as expected from a Lyman-alpha break at $z\simeq6.8$. The full multi-wavelength (X-ray through radio) data of COS-87529 can be self-consistently explained by a very massive (M$_{\ast}=10^{10.8}$ M$_{\odot}$) and extremely red (rest-UV slope $\beta=-0.59$) $z\simeq6.8$ galaxy with hyperluminous infrared emission (L$_{\mathrm{IR}}=10^{13.6}$ L$_{\odot}$) powered by both an intense burst of highly-obscured star formation (SFR$\approx$1800 M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$) and an obscured ($\tau_{\mathrm{9.7\mu m}}=7.7\pm2.5$) radio-loud (L$_{\mathrm{1.4\ GHz}}\approx10^{25.4}$ W Hz$^{-1}$) AGN. The radio emission is compact (1.04$\pm$0.12 arcsec) and exhibits an ultra-steep spectrum between 1.32-3 GHz ($\alpha=-1.57^{+0.22}_{-0.21}$) that flattens at lower frequencies ($\alpha=-0.86^{+0.22}_{-0.16}$ between 0.144-1.32 GHz), consistent with known $z>4$ radio galaxies. We also demonstrate that COS-87259 may reside in a significant (11$\times$) galaxy overdensity at $z\simeq6.6-6.9$, as common for systems hosting radio-loud AGN. Nonetheless, a spectroscopic redshift will ultimately be required to establish the true nature of COS-87259 as we cannot yet completely rule out low-redshift solutions. If confirmed to lie at $z\simeq6.8$, the properties of COS-87259 would be consistent with a picture wherein AGN and highly-obscured star formation activity are fairly common among very massive (M$_{\ast}>10^{10}$ M$_{\odot}$) reionization-era galaxies., Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures. Accepted in MNRAS with minor revisions. This accepted version considers very recent data from LOFAR and MeerKAT which improve our analyses on the radio slope and luminosity

Cosmic dust is an essential component shaping both the evolution of galaxies and their observational signatures. How quickly dust builds up in the early Universe remains an open question that requires deep observations at (sub-)millimeter wavelengths to resolve. Here we use Atacama Large Millimeter Array observations of 45 galaxies from the Reionization Era Bright Emission Line Survey (REBELS) and its pilot programs, designed to target [CII] and dust emission in UV-selected galaxies at $z\sim7$, to investigate the dust content of high-redshift galaxies through a stacking analysis. We find that the typical fraction of obscured star formation $f_\mathrm{obs} = \mathrm{SFR}_\mathrm{IR} / \mathrm{SFR}_\mathrm{UV + IR}$ depends on stellar mass, similar to what is observed at lower redshift, and ranges from $f_\mathrm{obs} \approx 0.3 - 0.6$ for galaxies with $\log_{10}\left(M_\star / M_\odot\right) = 9.4 - 10.4$. We further adopt the $z\sim7$ stellar mass function from the literature to extract the obscured cosmic star formation rate density (SFRD) from the REBELS survey. Our results suggest only a modest decrease in the SFRD between $3\lesssim z \lesssim 7$, with dust-obscured star formation still contributing $\sim30\%$ at $z\sim7$. While we extensively discuss potential caveats, our analysis highlights the continued importance of dust-obscured star formation even well into the epoch of reionization., Comment: MNRAS Accepted (01 Nov 2022)

Our understanding of reionization has advanced considerably over the past decade, with several results now demonstrating that the IGM transitioned from substantially neutral at $z=7$ to largely reionized at $z=6$. However, little remains known about the sizes of ionized bubbles at $z\gtrsim7$ as well as the galaxy overdensities which drive their growth. Fortunately, rest-UV spectroscopic observations offer a pathway towards characterizing these ionized bubbles thanks to the resonant nature of Lyman-alpha photons. In a previous work, we presented Ly$\alpha$ detections from three closely-separated Lyman-break galaxies at $z\simeq6.8$, suggesting the presence of a large ($R>1$ physical Mpc) ionized bubble in the 1.5 deg$^2$ COSMOS field. Here, we present new deep Ly$\alpha$ spectra of ten UV-bright ($\mathrm{M}_{\mathrm{UV}}^{} \leq -20.4$) $z\simeq6.6-6.9$ galaxies in the surrounding area, enabling us to better characterize this potential ionized bubble. We confidently detect (S/N$>$7) Ly$\alpha$ emission at $z=6.701-6.882$ in nine of ten observed galaxies, revealing that the large-scale volume spanned by these sources (characteristic radius $R = 3.2$ physical Mpc) traces a strong galaxy overdensity ($N/\langle N\rangle \gtrsim 3$). Our data additionally confirm that the Ly$\alpha$ emission of UV-bright galaxies in this volume is significantly enhanced, with 40% (4/10) showing strong Ly$\alpha$ emission (equivalent width$>$25 $\mathrm{\mathring{A}}$) compared to the 8$-$9% found on average at $z\sim7$. The median Ly$\alpha$ equivalent width of our observed galaxies is also $\approx$2$\times$ that typical at $z\sim7$, consistent with expectations if a very large ($R\sim3$ physical Mpc) ionized bubble is allowing the Ly$\alpha$ photons to cosmologically redshift far into the damping wing before encountering HI., Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, 3 tables. Accepted in MNRAS with minor revisions

Spectroscopic observations of massive $z>7$ galaxies selected to have extremely large [OIII]+H$\beta$ equivalent width (EW $\sim1500$ \r{A}) have recently revealed large Ly$\alpha$ detection rates, in contrast to the weak emission seen in the general population. Why these systems are uniquely visible in Ly$\alpha$ at redshifts where the IGM is likely significantly neutral is not clear. With the goal of better understanding these results, we have begun a campaign with MMT and Magellan to measure Ly$\alpha$ in galaxies with similar [OIII]+H$\beta$ EWs at $z\simeq2-3$. At these redshifts, the IGM is highly ionized, allowing us to clearly disentangle how the Ly$\alpha$ properties depend on the [OIII]+H$\beta$ EW. Here we present Ly$\alpha$ EWs of $49$ galaxies at $z=2.2-3.7$ with intense [OIII]+H$\beta$ line emission (EW $=300-3000$ \r{A}). Our results demonstrate that strong Ly$\alpha$ emission (EW $>20$ \r{A}) becomes more common in galaxies with larger [OIII]+H$\beta$ EW, reflecting a combination of increasingly efficient ionizing photon production and enhanced transmission of Ly$\alpha$. Among the galaxies with the most extreme [OIII]+H$\beta$ emission (EW $\sim1500$ \r{A}), we find that strong Ly$\alpha$ emission is not ubiquitous, with only $50$ per cent of our population showing Ly$\alpha$ EW $>20$ \r{A}. Our data suggest that the range of Ly$\alpha$ strengths is related to the observed ellipticity, with those systems that appear edge-on or elongated having weaker Ly$\alpha$ emission. We use these results to interpret the anomalous Ly$\alpha$ properties seen in $z>7$ galaxies with extreme [OIII]+H$\beta$ emission and discuss implications for the escape of ionizing radiation from these extreme line emitting galaxies.

Reionization-era galaxies tend to exhibit weak Ly$\alpha$ emission, likely reflecting attenuation from an increasingly neutral IGM. Recent observations have begun to reveal exceptions to this picture, with strong Ly$\alpha$ emission now known in four of the most massive z=7$-$9 galaxies in the CANDELS fields, all of which also exhibit intense [OIII]$+$H$\beta$ emission (EW$>$800 $\mathrm{\mathring{A}}$). To better understand why Ly$\alpha$ is anonymously strong in a subset of massive z$\simeq$7$-$9 galaxies, we have initiated an MMT/Binospec survey targeting a larger sample (N=22) of similarly luminous ($\simeq$1$-$6 L$^{\ast}_{\mathrm{UV}}$) z$\simeq$7 galaxies selected over very wide-area fields ($\sim$3 deg$^2$). We confidently ($>$7$\sigma$) detect Ly$\alpha$ in 78% (7/9) of galaxies with strong [OIII]$+$H$\beta$ emission (EW$>$800 $\mathrm{\mathring{A}}$) as opposed to only 8% (1/12) of galaxies with more moderate (EW=200$-$800 $\mathrm{\mathring{A}}$) [OIII]$+$H$\beta$. We argue that the higher Ly$\alpha$ EWs of the strong [OIII]$+$H$\beta$ population likely reflect enhanced ionizing photon production efficiency owing to their large sSFRs ($\gtrsim$30 Gyr$^{-1}$). We also find evidence that Ly$\alpha$ transmission from massive galaxies declines less rapidly over $6, Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures. Accepted in MNRAS with minor revisions

We quantify the distribution of [OIII]+H$\beta$ line strengths at z$\simeq$7 using a sample of 20 bright (M$_{\mathrm{UV}}$ $\lesssim$ $-$21) galaxies. We select these systems over wide-area fields (2.3 deg$^2$ total) using a new colour-selection which precisely selects galaxies at z$\simeq$6.63$-$6.83, a redshift range where blue Spitzer/IRAC [3.6]$-$[4.5] colours unambiguously indicate strong [OIII]$+$H$\beta$ emission. These 20 galaxies suggest a log-normal [OIII]$+$H$\beta$ EW distribution with median EW = 759$^{+112}_{-113}$ $\mathrm{\mathring{A}}$ and standard deviation = 0.26$^{+0.06}_{-0.05}$ dex. We find no evidence for strong variation in this EW distribution with UV luminosity. The typical [OIII]+H$\beta$ EW at z$\simeq$7 implied by our sample is considerably larger than that in massive star forming galaxies at z$\simeq$2, consistent with a shift toward larger average sSFR (4.4 Gyr$^{-1}$) and lower metallicities (0.16 Z$_\odot$). We also find evidence for the emergence of a population with yet more extreme nebular emission ([OIII]+H$\beta$ EW$>$1200 $\mathrm{\mathring{A}}$) that is rarely seen at lower redshifts. These objects have extremely large sSFR ($>$30 Gyr$^{-1}$), as would be expected for systems undergoing a burst or upturn in star formation. While this may be a short-lived phase, our results suggest that 20% of the z$\simeq$7 population has such extreme nebular emission, implying that galaxies likely undergo intense star formation episodes regularly at z$>$6. We argue that this population may be among the most effective ionizing agents in the reionization era, both in terms of photon production efficiency and escape fraction. We furthermore suggest that galaxies passing through this large sSFR phase are likely to be very efficient in forming bound star clusters., Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures. Accepted in MNRAS with minor revisions

The NIRCam instrument on the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will offer an unprecedented view of the most distant galaxies. In preparation for future deep NIRCam extragalactic surveys, it is crucial to understand the color selection of high-redshift galaxies using the Lyman dropout technique. To that end, we have used the JAdes extraGalactic Ultradeep Artificial Realizations (JAGUAR) mock catalog to simulate a series of extragalactic surveys with realistic noise estimates. This enables us to explore different color selections and their impact on the number density of recovered high-redshift galaxies and lower-redshift interlopers. We explore how survey depth, detection signal-to-noise ratio, color selection method, detection filter choice, and the presence of the Ly$\alpha$ emission line affects the resulting dropout selected samples. We find that redder selection colors reduce the number of recovered high-redshift galaxies, but the overall accuracy of the final sample is higher. In addition, we find that methods that utilize two or three color cuts have higher accuracy because of their ability to select against low-redshift quiescent and faint dusty interloper galaxies. We also explore the near-IR colors of brown dwarfs and demonstrate that, while they are predicted to have low on-sky densities, they are most likely to be recovered in F090W dropout selection, but there are color cuts which help to mitigate this contamination. Overall, our results provide NIRCam selection methods to aid in the creation of large, pure samples of ultra high-redshift galaxies from photometry alone., Comment: 24 pages, 20 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal

We present deep Keck/MOSFIRE $H$-band spectroscopic observations covering the [CIII],CIII]$\lambda\lambda1907,1909$ doublet for three $z\sim8$ galaxy candidates in the AEGIS field. Along with non-detections in two galaxies, we obtain one of the highest-redshift detections to-date of [CIII]$\lambda 1907$ for the galaxy AEGIS-33376, finding $z_{\rm spec}=7.945\pm0.001$. We measure a [CIII]$\lambda$1907 flux of $2.24\pm0.71\times10^{-18} \mbox{ erg}\mbox{ s}^{-1} \mbox{ cm}^{-2}$, corresponding to a rest-frame equivalent width of $20.3\pm6.5 \unicode{x212B}$ for the single line. Given the not very constraining upper limit for CIII]$\lambda 1909$ based on strong sky-line contamination, we assume a [CIII]$\lambda$1907/CIII]$\lambda 1909$ doublet ratio of 1.5 and infer a total [CIII],CIII]$\lambda\lambda1907,1909$ equivalent width of $33.7\pm 10.8 \unicode{x212B}$. We repeat the same reductions and analysis on multiple subsets of our raw data divided on the basis of time and observing conditions, verifying that the [CIII]$\lambda 1907$ emission is present for AEGIS-33376 throughout our observations. We also confirm that the significance of the [CIII]$\lambda 1907$ detection in different subsets of our data tracks that of brighter emission features detected on the same multi-slit mask. These multiple tests suggest that the observed emission line is real and associated with the $z\sim 8$ target. The strong observed [CIII],CIII]$\lambda\lambda1907,1909$ in AEGIS-33376 likely indicates ISM conditions of low metallicity, high ionization parameter, and a hard ionizing spectrum, although AGN contributions are possible. This single detection represents a sizable increase in the current sample [CIII],CIII]$\lambda\lambda1907,1909$ detections at $z>7$, while $\textit{JWST}$ will provide the first statistical samples of such measurements at these redshifts., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 1 table; Accepted to ApJL

Galaxy clustering measurements can be used to constrain many aspects of galaxy evolution, including galaxy host halo masses, satellite quenching efficiencies, and merger rates. We simulate JWST galaxy clustering measurements at z$\sim$4$-$10 by utilizing mock galaxy samples produced by an empirical model, the UniverseMachine. We also adopt the survey footprints and typical depths of the planned joint NIRCam and NIRSpec Guaranteed Time Observation program planned for Cycle 1 to generate realistic JWST survey realizations and to model high-redshift galaxy selection completeness. We find that galaxy clustering will be measured with $\gtrsim$5$\sigma$ significance at z$\sim$4$-$10. Halo mass precisions resulting from Cycle 1 angular clustering measurements will be $\sim$0.2 dex for faint (-18 $\gtrsim$ $\mathit{M}_{\mathrm{UV}}^{ }$ $\gtrsim$ -19) galaxies at z$\sim$4$-$10 as well as $\sim$0.3 dex for bright ($\mathit{M}_{\mathrm{UV}}^{ }$ $\sim$ -20) galaxies at z$\sim$4$-$7. Dedicated spectroscopic follow-up over $\sim$150 arcmin$^2$ would improve these precisions by $\sim$0.1 dex by removing chance projections and low-redshift contaminants. Future JWST observations will therefore provide the first constraints on the stellar-halo mass relation in the epoch of reionization and substantially clarify how this relation evolves at z$>$4. We also find that $\sim$1000 individual satellites will be identifiable at z$\sim$4$-$8 with JWST, enabling strong tests of satellite quenching evolution beyond currently available data (z$\lesssim$2). Finally, we find that JWST observations can measure the evolution of galaxy major merger pair fractions at z$\sim$4$-$8 with $\sim$0.1$-$0.2 dex uncertainties. Such measurements would help determine the relative role of mergers to the build-up of stellar mass into the epoch of reionization., Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures

We present the results of a new sensitive survey of neutral hydrogen above and below the Galactic Center with the Green Bank Telescope. The observations extend up to Galactic latitude | b | < 10 deg with an effective angular resolution of 9.5' and an average rms brightness temperature noise of 40 mK in a 1 km/s channel. The survey reveals the existence of a population of anomalous high-velocity clouds extending up to heights of about 1.5 kpc from the Galactic Plane and showing no signature of Galactic rotation. These clouds have local standard of rest velocities | Vlsr | < 360 km/s and, assuming a Galactic Center origin, they have sizes of a few tens of parsecs and neutral hydrogen masses spanning $10-10^5 \, M_\odot$. Accounting for selection effects, the cloud population is symmetric in longitude, latitude, and Vlsr. We model the cloud kinematics in terms of an outflow expanding from the Galactic Center and find the population consistent with being material moving with radial velocity Vw ~ 330 km/s distributed throughout a bi-cone with opening angle $��>140$ deg. This simple model implies an outflow luminosity $Lw > 3 \times 10^{40}$ erg/s over the past 10 Myr, consistent with star formation feedback in the inner region of the Milky Way, with a cold gas mass-loss rate $\lesssim 0.1 \, M_\odot$/yr. These clouds may represent the cold gas component accelerated in the nuclear wind driven by our Galaxy, although some of the derived properties challenge current theoretical models of the entrainment process., 16 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ