A Protocluster of Massive Quiescent Galaxies at z = 4

Abstract

We report on discovery of a concentration of massive quiescent galaxies located at z = 4. The concentration is first identified using high-quality photometric redshifts based on deep, multiband data in Subaru/XMM-Newton Deep Field. Follow-up near-infrared spectroscopic observations with MOSFIRE on Keck confirm a massive (∼1011 M ⊙) quiescent galaxy at z = 3.99. Our spectral energy distribution analyses reveal that the galaxy experienced an episode of starburst about 500 Myr prior to the observed epoch, followed by rapid quenching. Since its spectrum is sufficiently good to measure the stellar velocity dispersion, we infer its dynamical mass and find that it is consistent with its stellar mass. The galaxy is surrounded by four massive (>1010 M ⊙) quiescent galaxies on a ∼1 physical Mpc scale, all of which are consistent with being located at the same redshift based on high-accuracy spectrophotometric redshifts. This is likely a (proto)cluster dominated by quiescent galaxies, the first of the kind reported at such a high redshift as z = 4. Interestingly, it is in a large-scale structure revealed by spectroscopic redshifts from VANDELS. Furthermore, it also exhibits a red sequence, adding further support to the physical concentration of the galaxies. We find no such concentration in the Illustris-TNG300 simulation; it may be that the cluster is such a rare system that the simulation box is not sufficiently large to reproduce it. The total halo mass of the quiescent galaxies is ∼1013 M ⊙, suggesting that they form a group-sized halo once they collapse together. We discuss the implications of our findings for the quenching physics and conclude with future prospects.