JWST/MIRI Reveals the True Number Density of Massive Galaxies in the Early Universe
Early JWST studies reporting an unexpected abundance of massive galaxies at z ∼ 5–8 challenge galaxy formation models in the ΛCDM framework. Previous stellar mass ( M _⋆ ) estimates suffered from large uncertainties due to the lack of rest-frame near-infrared data. Using deep JWST/NIRCam and Mid-In...
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adebe7 |
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| author | Tao Wang Hanwen Sun Luwenjia Zhou Ke Xu Cheng Cheng Zhaozhou Li Yangyao Chen H. J. Mo Avishai Dekel Tiancheng Yang Yijun Wang Longyue Chen Xianzhong Zheng Zheng Cai David Elbaz Y.-S. Dai J.-S. Huang |
| author_facet | Tao Wang Hanwen Sun Luwenjia Zhou Ke Xu Cheng Cheng Zhaozhou Li Yangyao Chen H. J. Mo Avishai Dekel Tiancheng Yang Yijun Wang Longyue Chen Xianzhong Zheng Zheng Cai David Elbaz Y.-S. Dai J.-S. Huang |
| author_sort | Tao Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Early JWST studies reporting an unexpected abundance of massive galaxies at z ∼ 5–8 challenge galaxy formation models in the ΛCDM framework. Previous stellar mass ( M _⋆ ) estimates suffered from large uncertainties due to the lack of rest-frame near-infrared data. Using deep JWST/NIRCam and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) photometry from Public Release IMaging for Extragalactic Research, we systematically analyze massive galaxies at z ∼ 3–8, leveraging rest-frame ≳1 μ m constraints. We find MIRI is critical for robust M _⋆ measurements for massive galaxies at z > 5: excluding MIRI overestimates M _⋆ by ∼0.4 dex on average for M _⋆ > 10 ^10 M _⊙ galaxies, with no significant effects at lower masses. This reduces number densities of M _⋆ > 10 ^10 M _⊙ (10 ^10.3 M _⊙ ) galaxies by ∼36% (55%). MIRI inclusion also reduces “Little Red Dot” (LRD) contamination in massive galaxy samples, lowering the LRD fraction from ∼32% to ∼13% at M _⋆ > 10 ^10.3 M _⊙ . Assuming pure stellar origins, LRDs exhibit M _⋆ ∼ 10 ^9–10.5 M _⊙ with MIRI constraints, rarely exceeding 10 ^10.5 M _⊙ . Within standard ΛCDM, our results indicate a moderate increase in the baryon-to-star conversion efficiency ( ϵ ) toward higher redshifts and masses at z > 3. For the most massive z ∼ 8 galaxies, ϵ ∼ 0.3, compared to ϵ ≲ 0.2 for typical galaxies at z < 3. This result is consistent with models where high gas densities and short free-fall times suppress stellar feedback in massive high- z halos. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c1397841fee64628bd96f5eef2ee83ce |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-8205 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| series | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-c1397841fee64628bd96f5eef2ee83ce2025-08-20T03:51:25ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052025-01-019881L3510.3847/2041-8213/adebe7JWST/MIRI Reveals the True Number Density of Massive Galaxies in the Early UniverseTao Wang0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2504-2421Hanwen Sun1https://orcid.org/0009-0007-0241-0213Luwenjia Zhou2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1687-9665Ke Xu3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8046-984XCheng Cheng4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0202-0534Zhaozhou Li5Yangyao Chen6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4597-5798H. J. Mo7Avishai Dekel8https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4174-0374Tiancheng Yang9Yijun Wang10Longyue Chen11Xianzhong Zheng12https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3728-9912Zheng Cai13https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8467-6478David Elbaz14https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7631-647XY.-S. Dai15https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7928-416XJ.-S. Huang16School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics, Nanjing University , Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics, Nanjing University , Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics, Nanjing University , Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics, Nanjing University , Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of ChinaChinese Academy of Sciences South America Center for Astronomy , National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of ChinaCenter for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University , Jerusalem 91904, IsraelSchool of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Science and Technology of China , Hefei, Anhui 230026, People’s Republic of China; Key Laboratory for Research in Galaxies and Cosmology, Department of Astronomy, University of Science and Technology of China , Hefei, Anhui 230026, People’s Republic of ChinaDepartment of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts , Amherst, MA 01003-9305, USACenter for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University , Jerusalem 91904, Israel; Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, University of California , Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USASchool of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics, Nanjing University , Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics, Nanjing University , Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics, Nanjing University , Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210093, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Science and Technology of China , Hefei, Anhui 230026, People’s Republic of China; Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 10 Yuanhua Road, Qixia District, Nanjing 210023, People’s Republic of ChinaDepartment of Astronomy, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, People’s Republic of ChinaAIM, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay , Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, FranceChinese Academy of Sciences South America Center for Astronomy , National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of ChinaChinese Academy of Sciences South America Center for Astronomy , National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of ChinaEarly JWST studies reporting an unexpected abundance of massive galaxies at z ∼ 5–8 challenge galaxy formation models in the ΛCDM framework. Previous stellar mass ( M _⋆ ) estimates suffered from large uncertainties due to the lack of rest-frame near-infrared data. Using deep JWST/NIRCam and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) photometry from Public Release IMaging for Extragalactic Research, we systematically analyze massive galaxies at z ∼ 3–8, leveraging rest-frame ≳1 μ m constraints. We find MIRI is critical for robust M _⋆ measurements for massive galaxies at z > 5: excluding MIRI overestimates M _⋆ by ∼0.4 dex on average for M _⋆ > 10 ^10 M _⊙ galaxies, with no significant effects at lower masses. This reduces number densities of M _⋆ > 10 ^10 M _⊙ (10 ^10.3 M _⊙ ) galaxies by ∼36% (55%). MIRI inclusion also reduces “Little Red Dot” (LRD) contamination in massive galaxy samples, lowering the LRD fraction from ∼32% to ∼13% at M _⋆ > 10 ^10.3 M _⊙ . Assuming pure stellar origins, LRDs exhibit M _⋆ ∼ 10 ^9–10.5 M _⊙ with MIRI constraints, rarely exceeding 10 ^10.5 M _⊙ . Within standard ΛCDM, our results indicate a moderate increase in the baryon-to-star conversion efficiency ( ϵ ) toward higher redshifts and masses at z > 3. For the most massive z ∼ 8 galaxies, ϵ ∼ 0.3, compared to ϵ ≲ 0.2 for typical galaxies at z < 3. This result is consistent with models where high gas densities and short free-fall times suppress stellar feedback in massive high- z halos.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adebe7Galaxy formationEarly universeHigh-redshift galaxiesCosmology |
| spellingShingle | Tao Wang Hanwen Sun Luwenjia Zhou Ke Xu Cheng Cheng Zhaozhou Li Yangyao Chen H. J. Mo Avishai Dekel Tiancheng Yang Yijun Wang Longyue Chen Xianzhong Zheng Zheng Cai David Elbaz Y.-S. Dai J.-S. Huang JWST/MIRI Reveals the True Number Density of Massive Galaxies in the Early Universe The Astrophysical Journal Letters Galaxy formation Early universe High-redshift galaxies Cosmology |
| title | JWST/MIRI Reveals the True Number Density of Massive Galaxies in the Early Universe |
| title_full | JWST/MIRI Reveals the True Number Density of Massive Galaxies in the Early Universe |
| title_fullStr | JWST/MIRI Reveals the True Number Density of Massive Galaxies in the Early Universe |
| title_full_unstemmed | JWST/MIRI Reveals the True Number Density of Massive Galaxies in the Early Universe |
| title_short | JWST/MIRI Reveals the True Number Density of Massive Galaxies in the Early Universe |
| title_sort | jwst miri reveals the true number density of massive galaxies in the early universe |
| topic | Galaxy formation Early universe High-redshift galaxies Cosmology |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adebe7 |
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