JWST observations reveal galaxy candidates from the universe's earliest epochs
In short: Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have identified several galaxy candidates existing as early as 250 million years after the Big Bang. By analyzing the massive lensing cluster SMACS0723, the team found two candidates at a redshift of approximately 16, alongside several others dating back to redshifts between 9 and 12.
The researchers performed a systematic photometric analysis, combining data from seven near-infrared filters to model the light profiles of these distant objects. The findings suggest these early galaxies were small, sometimes appearing as disks, and were undergoing rapid stellar mass buildup.
The study relied on modeling spectral energy distributions to estimate redshifts and masses. Because these are photometric estimates, the findings represent candidates that require further spectroscopic confirmation.
Why it matters: JWST can identify potential galaxies from the universe's first formation epochs using near-infrared photometry.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Research: Atek et al. (2022). Revealing galaxy candidates out to z ∼ 16 with JWST observations of the lensing cluster SMACS0723. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
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