JWST's TEMPLATES for Star Formation: The First Resolved Gas-phase Metallicity Maps of Dust-obscured Star-forming Galaxies at z ∼ 4

Birkin, Jack E.; Hutchison, Taylor A.; Welch, Brian; Spilker, Justin S.; Aravena, Manuel; Bayliss, Matthew B.; Cathey, Jared; Chapman, Scott C.; Gonzalez, Anthony H.; Gururajan, Gayathri; Hayward, Christopher C.; Khullar, Gourav; Kim, Keunho J.; Mahler, Guillaume; Malkan, Matthew A.; et. al.

Abstract

We present the first spatially resolved maps of gas-phase metallicity for two dust-obscured star-forming galaxies at z similar to 4, from the JWST TEMPLATES Early Release Science program, derived from NIRSpec integral field unit spectroscopy of the H alpha and [N ii] emission lines. Empirical optical line calibrations are used to determine that the sources are globally enriched to near-solar levels. While one source shows elevated [N ii]/H alpha ratios and broad H alpha emission consistent with the presence of an active galactic nucleus in a greater than or similar to 1 kpc region, we argue that both systems have already undergone significant metal enrichment as a result of their extremely high star formation rates. Utilizing Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array rest-frame 380 mu m continuum and [Ci](P-3(2)-P-3(1)) line maps we compare the spatial variation of the metallicity and gas-to-dust ratio in the two galaxies, finding the two properties to be anticorrelated on highly resolved spatial scales, consistent with various literature studies of z similar to 0 galaxies. The data are indicative of the enormous potential of JWST to probe the enrichment of the interstellar medium on similar to kpc scales in extremely dust-obscured systems at z similar to 4 and beyond.

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Título según WOS: ID WOS:001118895400001 Not found in local WOS DB
Título de la Revista: ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
Volumen: 958
Número: 1
Editorial: IOP PUBLISHING LTD
Fecha de publicación: 2023
DOI:

10.3847/1538-4357/acf712

Notas: ISI