Article

Galaxy build-up in the first 1.5 Gyr of cosmic history: insights from the stellar mass function at <i>z</i> ~ 4–9 from <i>JWST</i> NIRCam observations

Andrea WeibelDepartment of Astronomy, University of Geneva , Chemin Pegasi 51, CH-1290 Versoix , SwitzerlandPascal A. OeschCosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)Laia BarrufetDepartment of Astronomy, University of Geneva , Chemin Pegasi 51, CH-1290 Versoix , SwitzerlandRashmi GottumukkalaCosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)Richard S EllisDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower St , London WC1E 6BT , UKP. SantiniINAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma , via di Frascati 33, I-00078 Monte Porzio Catone , ItalyJ. R. WeaverDepartment of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts Amherst , Amherst, MA 01003 , USAN. AllenCosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)R. J. BouwensLeiden Observatory, Leiden University , NL-2300 RA Leiden , the NetherlandsR. A. A. BowlerJodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester , Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL , UKGabe BrammerCosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)Adam C. CarnallInstitute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory , Edinburgh EH9 3HJ , UKFergus CullenInstitute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory , Edinburgh EH9 3HJ , UKPratika DayalKapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen , NL-9700 AV Groningen , the NetherlandsMark DickinsonNSF’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab) , 950 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719 , USACallum T. DonnanInstitute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory , Edinburgh EH9 3HJ , UKJ. S. DunlopInstitute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory , Edinburgh EH9 3HJ , UKMauro GiavaliscoDepartment of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts Amherst , Amherst, MA 01003 , USANorman A. GroginSpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 , USAG. D. IllingworthDepartment of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California , Santa Cruz, CA 95064 , USAA. M. KoekemoerSpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 , USAIvo LabbéCentre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology , Melbourne, VIC 3122 , AustraliaDanilo MarchesiniDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Tufts University , Medford, MA 02155 , USAD J McLeodInstitute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory , Edinburgh EH9 3HJ , UKR. J. McLureInstitute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory , Edinburgh EH9 3HJ , UKRohan P. NaiduMIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research , 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 , USAPablo G. Pérez‐GonzálezCentro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA , Ctra. de Ajalvir km 4, Torrejón de Ardoz, E-28850 Madrid , SpainMarko ShuntovCosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)Mauro StefanonDepartament d’Astronomia i Astrofìsica, Universitat de València , C. Dr Moliner 50, E-46100 Burjassot València , SpainSune ToftCosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)Mengyuan XiaoDepartment of Astronomy, University of Geneva , Chemin Pegasi 51, CH-1290 Versoix , Switzerland

2024en

ABI

Abstract

ABSTRACT Combining the public JWST/NIRCam imaging programs CEERS, PRIMER, and JADES, spanning a total area of $\sim 500\, {\rm arcmin}^2$, we obtain a sample of $\gt $30 000 galaxies at $z_{\rm phot}\sim 4\!-\!9$ that allows us to perform a complete, rest-optical-selected census of the galaxy population at $z\gt 3$. Comparing the stellar mass $M_*$ and the UV-slope $\beta$ distributions between JWST- and HST-selected samples, we generally find very good agreement and no significant biases. Nevertheless, JWST enables us to probe a new population of UV-red galaxies that was missing from previous HST-based Lyman-break galaxy (LBG) samples. We measure galaxy stellar mass functions (SMFs) at $z\sim 4\!-\!9$ down to limiting masses of $10^{7.5}\!-\!10^{8.5}\, {\rm M_\odot }$, finding steep low-mass slopes over the entire redshift range, reaching values of $\alpha \approx -2$ at $z\gtrsim 6$. At the high-mass end, UV-red galaxies dominate at least out to $z\sim 6$. The implied redshift evolution of the SMF suggests a rapid build-up of massive dust-obscured or quiescent galaxies from $z\sim 6$ to $z\sim 4$ as well as an enhanced efficiency of star formation towards earlier times ($z\gtrsim 6$). Finally, we show that the galaxy mass density grows by a factor $\sim 20\times$ from $z\sim 9$ to $z\sim 4$. Our results emphasize the importance of rest-frame optically selected samples in inferring accurate distributions of physical properties and studying the mass build-up of galaxies in the first 1.5 Gyr of cosmic history.

Identifiers

DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stae1891

Citations and references

Cited by 10 references

Metrics — AkademScholar