JWST Research Articles

JWST detections of amorphous and crystalline HDO ice toward massive protostars

Tracing the origin and evolution of interstellar water is key to understanding many of the physical and chemical processes involved in star and planet formation. Deuterium fractionation offers a window into the physicochemical history of water due to its sensitivity to local conditions. The aim of this work is to utilize the increased sensitivity and resolution of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to quantify the HDO/H$_ $O ratio in ices toward young stellar objects (YSOs) and to determine if the HDO/H$_ $O ratios measured in the gas phase toward massive YSOs (MYSOs) are representative of the ratios in their ice envelopes. Two protostars observed in the Investigating Protostellar Accretion (IPA) program using JWST NIRSpec were analyzed: HOPS 370, an intermediate-mass YSO (IMYSO), and IRAS 20126+4104, a MYSO. The HDO ice toward these sources was quantified via its 4.1 mu m band. The contributions from the CH$_ $OH combination modes to the observed optical depth in this spectral region were constrained via the CH$_ $OH 3.53 mu m band to ensure that the integrated optical depth of the HDO feature was not overestimated. H$_ $O ice was quantified via its 3 mu m band. New laboratory IR spectra of ice mixtures containing HDO, H$_ $O, CH$_ $OH, and CO were collected to aid in the fitting and chemical interpretation of the observed spectra. HDO ice is detected above the 3sigma level in both sources. It requires a minimum of two components, one amorphous and one crystalline, to obtain satisfactory fits. The H$_ $O ice band at 3 mu m similarly requires both amorphous and crystalline components. The observed peak positions of the crystalline HDO component are consistent with those of annealed laboratory ices, which could be evidence of heating and subsequent recooling of the ice envelope (i.e., thermal cycling). The CH$_ $OH 3.53 mu m band is fit best with two cold components, one consisting of pure CH$_ $OH and the other of CH$_ $OH in an H$_ $O-rich mixture. From these fits, ice HDO/H$_ $O abundance ratios of 4.6pm 1.8times 10$^ $ and 2.6pm 1.2times 10$^ $ are obtained for HOPS 370 and IRAS 20126+4104, respectively. The simultaneous detections of both crystalline HDO and crystalline H$_ $O corroborate the assignment of the observed feature at 4.1 mu m to HDO ice. The ice HDO/H$_ $O ratios are similar to the highest reported gas HDO/H$_ $O ratios measured toward MYSOs and the hot inner regions of isolated low-mass protostars, suggesting that at least some of the gas HDO/H$_ $O ratios measured toward massive hot cores are representative of the HDO/H$_ $O ratios in ices. The need for an H$_ $O-rich CH$_ $OH component in the CH$_ $OH ice analysis supports recent experimental and observational results that indicate that some CH$_ $OH ice may form prior to the CO freeze-out stage in H$_ $O-rich ice layers.

Strong damped Lyman-α absorption in young star-forming galaxies at redshifts 9 to 11.

Primordial neutral atomic gas, mostly composed of hydrogen, is the raw material for star formation in galaxies. However, there are few direct constraints on the amount of neutral atomic hydrogen (Hi) in galaxies at early cosmic times. We analyzed James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) near-infrared spectroscopy of distant galaxies, at redshifts ≳8. From a sample of 12 galaxies, we identified three that show strong damped Lyman-α absorption due to Hi in their local surroundings. The galaxies are located at spectroscopic redshifts of 8.8, 10.2, and 11.4, corresponding to 400 to 600 million years after the Big Bang. They have Hi column densities ≳1022 cm-2, which is an order of magnitude higher than expected for a fully neutral intergalactic medium, and constitute a gas-rich population of young star-forming galaxies.

The asymmetric bipolar [Fe II] jet and H2 outflow of TMC1A resolved with the JWST NIRSpec Integral Field Unit

Protostellar outflows exhibit large variations in their structure depending on the observed gas emission. To understand the origin of the observed variations, it is important to analyze the differences in the observed morphology and kinematics of the different tracers. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) allows us to study the physical structure of the protostellar outflow through well-known near-infrared shock tracers in a manner unrivaled by other existing ground-based and space-based telescopes at these wavelengths. This study analyzes the atomic jet and molecular outflow in the Class I protostar, TMC1A, utilizing spatially resolved Fe II and H2 lines to characterize the morphology and to identify previously undetected spatial features, and compare them to existing observations of TMC1A and its outflows observed at other wavelengths. We identified a large number of Fe II and H2 lines within the G140H, G235H, and G395H gratings of the NIRSpec IFU observations. We analyzed their morphology and position-velocity (PV) diagrams. From the observed Fe II line ratios, the extinction toward the jet is estimated. We detected the bipolar Fe jet by revealing, for the first time, the presence of a redshifted atomic jet. Similarly, the redshifted component of the H2 slower wide-angle outflow was observed. The Fe II and H2 redhifted emission both exhibit significantly lower flux densities compared to their blueshifted counterparts. Additionally, we report the detection of a collimated high-velocity ($ 100$ km $), blueshifted H2 outflow, suggesting the presence of a molecular jet in addition to the well-known wider angle low-velocity structure. The Fe II and H2 jets show multiple intensity peaks along the jet axis, which may be associated with ongoing or recent outburst events. In addition to the variation in their intensities, the H2 wide-angle outflow exhibits a ring-like structure. The blueshifted H2 outflow also shows a left-right brightness asymmetry likely due to interactions with the surrounding ambient medium and molecular outflows. Using the Fe II line ratios, the extinction along the atomic jet is estimated to be between $A_ V $ = 10--30 on the blueshifted side, with a trend of decreasing extinction with distance from the protostar. A similar $A_ V $ is found for the redshifted side, supporting the argument for an intrinsic red-blue outflow lobe asymmetry rather than environmental effects such as extinction. This intrinsic difference revealed by the unprecedented sensitivity of JWST, suggests that younger outflows already exhibit the red-blue side asymmetry more commonly observed toward jets associated with Class II disks.

A secondary atmosphere on the rocky exoplanet 55 Cancri e.

Characterizing rocky exoplanets is a central aim of astronomy, and yet the search for atmospheres on rocky exoplanets has so far resulted in either tight upper limits on the atmospheric mass1-3 or inconclusive results4-6. The 1.95REarth and 8.8MEarth planet 55 Cancri e (abbreviated 55 Cnc e), with a predominantly rocky composition and an equilibrium temperature of around 2,000 K, may have a volatile envelope (containing molecules made from a combination of C, H, O, N, S and P elements) that accounts for up to a few percent of its radius7-13. The planet has been observed extensively with transmission spectroscopy14-22 and its thermal emission has been measured in broad photometric bands23-26. These observations disfavour a primordial H2/He-dominated atmosphere but cannot conclusively determine whether the planet has a secondary atmosphere27,28. Here we report a thermal emission spectrum of the planet obtained by the NIRCam and MIRI instruments aboard the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) from 4 to 12 μm. The measurements rule out the scenario in which the planet is a lava world shrouded by a tenuous atmosphere made of vaporized rock29-32 and indicate a bona fide volatile atmosphere that is probably rich in CO2 or CO. This atmosphere can be outgassed from and sustained by a magma ocean.

Information content of JWST spectra of WASP-39b

The era of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) transmission spectroscopy of exoplanetary atmospheres commenced with the study of the Saturn-mass gas giant WASP-39b as part of the Early Release Science (ERS) program. WASP-39b was observed using several different JWST instrument modes (NIRCam, NIRISS, NIRSpec G395H and NIRSpec PRISM) and the spectra were published in a series of papers by the ERS team. The current study examines the information content of these spectra measured using the different instrument modes, focusing on the complexity of the temperature-pressure profiles and number of chemical species warranted by the data. We examine if the molecules H2O CO CO2 K H2S CH4 and SO2 are detected in each of the instrument modes. Two Bayesian inference methods are used to perform atmospheric retrievals: the standard nested sampling method, as well as the supervised machine learning method of the random forest (trained on a model grid). For nested sampling, Bayesian model comparison is used as a guide to identify the set of models with the required complexity to explain the data. Generally, non-isothermal transit chords are needed to fit the transmission spectra of WASP-39b, although the complexity of the temperature-pressure profile required is mode-dependent. The minimal set of chemical species needed to fit a spectrum is mode-dependent as well, and also depends on whether grey or non-grey clouds are assumed. When a non-grey cloud model is used to fit the NIRSpec G395H spectrum, it generates a spectral continuum that compensates for the water opacity. The same compensation is absent when fitting the non-grey cloud model to the NIRSpec PRISM spectrum (which has broader wavelength coverage), suggesting that it is spurious. The interplay between the cloud spectral continuum and the water opacity determines if sulphur dioxide is needed to fit either spectrum. The inferred elemental abundances of carbon and oxygen and the carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) ratios are all mode- and model-dependent, and should be interpreted with caution. Bayesian model comparison does not always offer a clear path forward for favouring specific retrieval models (e.g. grey versus non-grey clouds) and thus for enabling unambiguous interpretations of exoplanet spectra.

Using a broadband long-wavelength channel to increase the capture range of segment piston phase retrieval for segmented-aperture systems

Segmented-aperture systems, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), require fine piston alignment between primary mirror segments. Computer simulation experiments show that using a broadband long-wavelength channel, illustrated with the Mid Infrared Instrument (MIRI) onboard the JWST, can extend the capture range of segment piston phase retrieval significantly (in the case of JWST with MIRI, up to hundreds of microns), greatly reducing the requirements on coarse phasing.

PDRs4All

Context. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured the most detailed and sharpest infrared (IR) images ever taken of the inner region of the Orion Nebula, the nearest massive star formation region, and a prototypical highly irradiated dense photo-dissociation region (PDR). Aims. We investigate the fundamental interaction of far-ultraviolet (FUV) photons with molecular clouds. The transitions across the ionization front (IF), dissociation front (DF), and the molecular cloud are studied at high-angular resolution. These transitions are relevant to understanding the effects of radiative feedback from massive stars and the dominant physical and chemical processes that lead to the IR emission that JWST will detect in many Galactic and extragalactic environments. Methods. We utilized NIRCam and MIRI to obtain sub-arcsecond images over ~150″ and 42″ in key gas phase lines (e.g., Pa α, Br α, [FeII] 1.64 µm, H2 1−0 S(1) 2.12 µm, 0–0 S(9) 4.69 µm), aromatic and aliphatic infrared bands (aromatic infrared bands at 3.3–3.4 µm, 7.7, and 11.3 µm), dust emission, and scattered light. Their emission are powerful tracers of the IF and DF, FUV radiation field and density distribution. Using NIRSpec observations the fractional contributions of lines, AIBs, and continuum emission to our NIRCam images were estimated. A very good agreement is found for the distribution and intensity of lines and AIBs between the NIRCam and NIRSpec observations. Results. Due to the proximity of the Orion Nebula and the unprecedented angular resolution of JWST, these data reveal that the molecular cloud borders are hyper structured at small angular scales of ~0.1–1″ (~0.0002–0.002 pc or ~40–400 au at 414 pc). A diverse set of features are observed such as ridges, waves, globules and photoevaporated protoplanetary disks. At the PDR atomic to molecular transition, several bright features are detected that are associated with the highly irradiated surroundings of the dense molecular condensations and embedded young star. Toward the Orion Bar PDR, a highly sculpted interface is detected with sharp edges and density increases near the IF and DF. This was predicted by previous modeling studies, but the fronts were unresolved in most tracers. The spatial distribution of the AIBs reveals that the PDR edge is steep and is followed by an extensive warm atomic layer up to the DF with multiple ridges. A complex, structured, and folded H0/H2 DF surface was traced by the H2 lines. This dataset was used to revisit the commonly adopted 2D PDR structure of the Orion Bar as our observations show that a 3D “terraced” geometry is required to explain the JWST observations. JWST provides us with a complete view of the PDR, all the way from the PDR edge to the substructured dense region, and this allowed us to determine, in detail, where the emission of the atomic and molecular lines, aromatic bands, and dust originate. Conclusions. This study offers an unprecedented dataset to benchmark and transform PDR physico-chemical and dynamical models for the JWST era. A fundamental step forward in our understanding of the interaction of FUV photons with molecular clouds and the role of FUV irradiation along the star formation sequence is provided.

TREASUREHUNT: Transients and Variability Discovered with HST in the JWST North Ecliptic Pole Time-domain Field

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) North Ecliptic Pole (NEP) Time-domain Field (TDF) is a >14′ diameter field optimized for multiwavelength time-domain science with JWST. It has been observed across the electromagnetic spectrum both from the ground and from space, including with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). As part of HST observations over three cycles (the “TREASUREHUNT” program), deep images were obtained with the Wide Field Camera on the Advanced Camera for Surveys in F435W and F606W that cover almost the entire JWST NEP TDF. Many of the individual pointings of these programs partially overlap, allowing an initial assessment of the potential of this field for time-domain science with HST and JWST. The cumulative area of overlapping pointings is ∼88 arcmin2, with time intervals between individual epochs that range between 1 day and 4+ yr. To a depth of m AB ≃ 29.5 mag (F606W), we present the discovery of 12 transients and 190 variable candidates. For the variable candidates, we demonstrate that Gaussian statistics are applicable and estimate that ∼80 are false positives. The majority of the transients will be supernovae, although at least two are likely quasars. Most variable candidates are active galactic nuclei (AGNs), where we find 0.42% of the general z ≲ 6 field galaxy population to vary at the ∼3σ level. Based on a 5 yr time frame, this translates into a random supernova areal density of up to ∼0.07 transients arcmin−2 (∼245 deg−2) per epoch and a variable AGN areal density of ∼1.25 variables arcmin−2 (∼4500 deg−2) to these depths.

A double take on early and interacting dark energy from JWST

The very first light captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) revealed a population of galaxies at very high redshifts more massive than expected in the canonical ΛCDM model of structure formation. Barring, among others, a systematic origin of the issue, in this paper, we test alternative cosmological perturbation histories. We argue that models with a larger matter component Ω m and/or a larger scalar spectral index ns can substantially improve the fit to JWST measurements. In this regard, phenomenological extensions related to the dark energy sector of the theory are appealing alternatives, with Early Dark Energy emerging as an excellent candidate to explain (at least in part) the unexpected JWST preference for larger stellar mass densities. Conversely, Interacting Dark Energy models, despite producing higher values of matter clustering parameters such as σ 8, are generally disfavored by JWST measurements. This is due to the energy-momentum flow from the dark matter to the dark energy sector, implying a smaller matter energy density. Upcoming observations may either strengthen the evidence or falsify some of these appealing phenomenological alternatives to the simplest ΛCDM picture.

Exploring Low-mass Black Holes through Tidal Disruption Events in the Early Universe: Perspectives in the Era of the JWST, Roman Space Telescope, and LSST Surveys

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has recently uncovered the presence of low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at z = 4–11. Spectroscopic observations have provided estimates of the nuclear black hole (BH) masses for these sources, extending the low-mass boundary down to M • ∼ 106–7 M ⊙. Despite this breakthrough, the observed lowest mass of BHs is still ≳1–2 orders of magnitude heavier than the predicted mass range of their seed population, thereby leaving the initial mass distribution of massive BHs poorly constrained. In this paper, we focus on UV-to-optical (in the rest frame) flares of stellar tidal disruption events (TDEs) embedded in low-luminosity AGNs as a tool for exploring low-mass BH populations with ≲104–6 M ⊙. We provide an estimate of the TDE rate over z = 4–11, associated with the properties of JWST-detected AGN host galaxies, and we find that deep and wide survey programs with JWST and the Roman Space Telescope (RST) can detect and identify TDEs up to z ≃ 4–7. The predicted detection numbers of TDEs at z > 4 in 1 yr are NTDE∼2–10(0.2–2) for the JADES-Medium (and COSMOS-Web) survey with JWST and NTDE∼2–10(8–50) for the deep (and wide) tiers of the High Latitude Time Domain Survey with RST. We further discuss survey strategies for hunting for transient high-redshift TDEs in wide-field surveys with RST, as well as a joint observation campaign with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory for enhancing the detection number. The high-redshift TDE search will give us a unique opportunity to probe the mass distribution of early BH populations.

JWST observations of 13CO2 ice

The structure and composition of simple ices can be severely modified during stellar evolution by protostellar heating. Key to understanding the involved processes are thermal and chemical tracers that can be used to diagnose the history and environment of the ice. The 15.2 µm bending mode of 12CO2 in particular has proven to be a valuable tracer of ice heating events but suffers from grain shape and size effects. A viable alternative tracer is the weaker 13CO2 isotopologue band at 4.39 µm, which has now become accessible at high S/N with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). In this study, we present JWST NIRSpec observations of 13CO2 ice in five deeply embedded Class 0 sources that span a wide range in masses and luminosities (0.2–104 L⊙) taken as part of the Investigating Protostellar Accretion Across the Mass Spectrum (IPA) program. The band profiles vary significantly depending on the source, with the most luminous sources showing a distinct narrow peak at 4.38 µm. We first applied a phenomenological approach with which we demonstrate that a minimum of three to four Gaussian profiles are needed to fit the absorption feature of 13CO2. We then combined these findings with laboratory data and show that a 15.2 µm 12CO2 bending-mode-inspired five-component decomposition can be applied to the isotopologue band, with each component representative of CO2 ice in a specific molecular environment. The final solution consists of cold mixtures of CO2 with CH3OH, H2O, and CO as well as segregated heated pure CO2 ice at 80 K. Our results are in agreement with previous studies of the 12CO2 ice band, further confirming that 13CO2 is a useful alternative tracer of protostellar heating and ice composition. We also propose an alternative solution consisting only of heated mixtures of CO2:CH3OH and CO2:H2O ices and warm pure CO2 ice at 80 K (i.e., no cold CO2 ices) for decomposing the ice profiles of HOPS 370 and IRAS 20126, the two most luminous sources in our sample that show strong evidence of ice heating resulting in ice segregation.

Overmassive Black Holes at Cosmic Noon: Linking the Local and the High-redshift Universe

We report for the first time a sample of 12 supermassive black holes (SMBHs) hosted by low-mass galaxies at cosmic noon, i.e., in a redshift range consistent with the peak of star formation history: z ∼ 1–3. These black holes are 2 orders of magnitude too massive for the stellar content of their hosts when compared with the local relation for active galaxies. These overmassive systems at cosmic noon share similar properties with the high-z sources found ubiquitously in recent James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) surveys (same range of black-hole-to-stellar-mass ratio, bolometric luminosity, and Eddington ratio). We argue that black hole feedback processes, for which there is possible evidence in five of the sources, and the differing environments in galactic nuclei at these respective epochs play a key role in these overmassive systems. These findings contribute to our understanding of the growth and coevolution of SMBHs and their host galaxies across cosmic time, offering a link between the early Universe (z > 4) observed by JWST and observations of the present-day Universe (z ≲ 1).

Mid-infrared Fine Structure Lines from the Galactic Warm Ionized Medium

The Warm Ionized Medium (WIM) hosts most of the ionized gas in the Galaxy and occupies perhaps a quarter of the volume of the Galactic disk. Decoding the spectrum of the Galactic diffuse ionizing field is of fundamental interest. This can be done via direct measurements of ionization fractions of various elements. Based on current physical models for the WIM we predicted that mid-IR fine structure lines of Ne, Ar and S would be within the grasp of the Mid-Infrared Imager-Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MIRI-MRS), an Integral Field Unit (IFU) spectrograph, aboard the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Motivated thus we analyzed a pair of commissioning data sets and detected [Ne ii] 12.81 μm, [S iii] 18.71 μm and possibly [S iv] 10.51 μm. The inferred emission measure for these detections is about 10 cm−6 pc, typical of the WIM. These detections are broadly consistent with expectations of physical models for the WIM. The current detections are limited by uncorrected fringing (and to a lesser extent by baseline variations). In due course, we expect, as with other IFUs, the calibration pipeline to deliver photon-noise-limited spectra. The detections reported here bode well for the study of the WIM. Along most lines-of-sight hour-long MIRI-MRS observations should detect line emission from the WIM. When combined with optical observations by modern IFUs with high spectral resolution on large ground-based telescopes, the ionization fraction and temperature of neon and sulfur can be robustly inferred. Separately, the ionization of helium in the WIM can be probed by NIRspec. Finally, joint JWST and optical IFU studies will open up a new cottage industry of studying the WIM on arcsecond scales.

Using mylar-insulated cryopumping panels to improve vacuum level during warm temperature testing at JSC’s large thermal vacuum facilities

Johnson Space Center’s Space Environment Simulation Lab (SESL) has both Chamber A, the world’s largest purpose-built thermal vacuum chamber capable of creating deep space conditions, and Chamber B, the largest human rated thermal vacuum chamber. A unique design feature of these chambers is the gaseous helium cryopumping panels within the liquid nitrogen shroud. This shroud is used to bring the chamber to cryogenic temperatures while the cryopumping panels trap gasses on its surface area to create a high vacuum environment of 5*10−6 Torr. In preparation for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) flight test, a series of functionals required the chamber to run at higher temperatures, and therefore did not need active cooling from the liquid nitrogen shroud. During testing, cryopumping panels were used to mitigate contamination during this main shroud warm-up. One of the cryopumping panels in Chamber A was covered with several layers of aluminized mylar to thermally protect the zone from the warmed shroud. This strategy was effective and became part of operations during JWST testing. Currently, Chamber B has requests for both commercial and NASA space suit tests at both high and low temperatures to validate thermal models. High temperature tests could benefit from reduced heater demand with an insulated shroud while still sustaining the high vacuum environment provided by the cryopumping panels. This paper will quantitatively define the thermal loads on the panels used in previous Chamber A warm up sequences. Additionally, this report will perform thermal analyses to assess the feasibility of adding layers of aluminized mylar to the cryopumping panels of Chamber B.

SMART: Spectral energy distributions Markov chain Analysis with Radiative Transfer models

Abstract In this paper we present the publicly available open-source spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting code SMART (Spectral energy distributions Markov chain Analysis with Radiative Transfer models). Implementing a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, SMART fits the ultraviolet to millimetre SEDs of galaxies exclusively with radiative transfer models that currently constitute four types of pre-computed libraries, which describe the starburst, active galactic nucleus (AGN) torus, host galaxy and polar dust components. An important novelty of SMART is that, although it fits SEDs exclusively with radiative transfer models, it takes comparable time to popular energy balance methods to run. Here we describe the key features of SMART and test it by fitting the multi-wavelength SEDs of the 42 local ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) that constitute the HERschel Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxy Survey (HERUS) sample. The Spitzer spectroscopy data of the HERUS ULIRGs are included in the fitting at a spectral resolution, which is matched to that of the radiative transfer models. We also present other results that highlight the performance and versatility of SMART. SMART promises to be a useful tool for studying galaxy evolution in the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) era. SMART is developed in Python and is available at https://github.com/ch-var/SMART.git.

Morphology of Galaxies in JWST Fields: Initial Distribution and Evolution of Galaxy Morphology

Abstract A recent study from the Horizon Run 5 (HR5) cosmological simulation has predicted that galaxies with log M * / M ⊙ ≲ 10 in the cosmic morning (10 ≳ z ≳ 4) dominantly have disk-like morphology in the ΛCDM universe, which is driven by the tidal torque in the initial fluctuations of matter. For a direct comparison with observation we identify a total of about 19,000 James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) galaxies with log M * / M ⊙ > 9 at z = 0.6–8.0 utilizing deep JWST/NIRCam images of publicly released fields, including North Ecliptic Pole Time-Domain Fields, Next Generation Deep Extragalactic Exploratory Public survey, Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science Survey, Cosmic Evolution Survey, UltraDeep Survey, and SMACS J0723-7327. We estimate their stellar masses and photometric redshifts with the redshift dispersion of σ NMAD = 0.009 and an outlier fraction of only about 6%. We classify galaxies into three morphological types, disks, spheroids, and irregulars, applying the same criteria used in the HR5 study. The morphological distribution of the JWST galaxies shows that disk galaxies account for 60%–70% at all redshift ranges. However, in the high-mass regime ( log M * / M ⊙ ≳ 11 ), spheroidal morphology becomes the dominant type. This implies that the mass growth of galaxies is accompanied by a morphological transition from disks to spheroids. The fraction of irregulars is about 20% or less at all masses and redshifts. All the trends in the morphology distribution are consistently found in the six JWST fields. These results are in close agreement with the results from the HR5 simulation, particularly confirming the prevalence of disk galaxies at small masses in the cosmic morning and noon.

A Steep Decline in the Galaxy Space Density beyond Redshift 9 in the CANUCS UV Luminosity Function

We present a new sample of 158 galaxies at redshift z > 7.5 selected from deep James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) NIRCam imaging of five widely separated sight lines in the CANUCS survey. Two-thirds of the pointings and 80% of the galaxies are covered by 12–14 NIRCam filters, including seven to nine medium bands, providing accurate photometric redshifts and robustness against low-redshift interlopers. A sample of 28 galaxies at z > 7.5 with spectroscopic redshifts shows a low systematic offset and scatter in the difference between photometric and spectroscopic redshifts. We derive the galaxy UV luminosity function at redshifts 8–12, finding a slightly higher normalization than previously seen with the Hubble Space Telescope at redshifts 8–10. We observe a steeper decline in the galaxy space density from z = 8 to 12 than found by most JWST Cycle 1 studies. In particular, we find only eight galaxies at z > 10 and none at z > 12.5, with no z > 10 galaxies brighter than F277W AB = 28 or M UV = −20 in our unmasked, delensed survey area of 53.4 arcmin2. We attribute the lack of bright z > 10 galaxies in CANUCS compared to GLASS and CEERS to intrinsic variance in the galaxy density along different sight lines. The evolution in the CANUCS luminosity function between z = 8 and 12 is comparable to that predicted by simulations that assume a standard star formation efficiency without invoking any special adjustments.

High-precision Atmospheric Characterization of a Y Dwarf with JWST NIRSpec G395H Spectroscopy: Isotopologue, C/O Ratio, Metallicity, and the Abundances of Six Molecular Species

The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) marks a pivotal moment for precise atmospheric characterization of Y dwarfs, the coldest brown dwarf spectral type. In this study, we leverage moderate spectral resolution observations (R ∼ 2700) with the G395H grating of the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) on board JWST to characterize the nearby (9.9 pc) Y dwarf WISEPA J182831.08+265037.8. With the NIRSpec G395H 2.88–5.12 μm spectrum, we measure the abundances of CO, CO2, CH4, H2S, NH3, and H2O, which are the major carbon-, nitrogen-, oxygen-, and sulfur-bearing species in the atmosphere. Based on the retrieved volume mixing ratios with the atmospheric retrieval framework CHIMERA, we report that the C/O ratio is 0.45 ± 0.01, close to the solar C/O value of 0.458, and the metallicity is +0.30 ± 0.02 dex. Comparison between the retrieval results and the forward modeling results suggests that the model bias for C/O and metallicity could be as high as 0.03 and 0.97 dex, respectively. We also report a lower limit of the 12CO/13CO ratio of >40, being consistent with the nominal solar value of 90. Our results highlight the potential for JWST to measure the C/O ratios down to percent-level precision and characterize isotopologues of cold planetary atmospheres similar to WISE 1828.

High-resolution Spectroscopic Reconnaissance of a Temperate Sub-Neptune

The study of temperate sub-Neptunes is the new frontier in exoplanetary science. A major development in the past year has been the first detection of carbon-bearing molecules in the atmosphere of a temperate sub-Neptune, K2-18 b, a possible Hycean world, with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The JWST is poised to characterize the atmospheres of several other such planets, with important implications for planetary processes in the temperate regime. Meanwhile, ground-based high-resolution spectroscopy has been highly successful in detecting chemical signatures of giant exoplanets, though low-mass planets have remained elusive. In the present work, we report the atmospheric reconnaissance of a temperate sub-Neptune, TOI-732 c, using ground-based high-resolution transmission spectroscopy. The long orbital period and the low systemic velocity result in a low planetary radial velocity during transit, making this system a valuable test bed for high-resolution spectroscopy of temperate sub-Neptunes. We observe high-resolution time-series spectroscopy in the H and K bands during the planetary transit with the IGRINS instrument (R ∼ 45,000) on Gemini-South. Using observations from a single transit, we find marginal evidence (2.2σ) for the presence of methane (CH4) in the atmosphere and no evidence for ammonia (NH3) despite its strong detectability for a cloud-free H2-rich atmosphere. We assess our findings using injection tests with different atmospheric scenarios and find them to be consistent with a high CH4/NH3 ratio and/or the presence of high-altitude clouds. Our results demonstrate the capability of Gemini-S/IGRINS for atmospheric characterization of temperate sub-Neptunes and the complementarity between space- and ground-based facilities in this planetary regime.

Comparing transit spectroscopy pipelines at the catalogue level: evidence for systematic differences

ABSTRACT The challenge of inconsistent results from different data pipelines, even when starting from identical data, is a recognized concern in exoplanetary science. As we transition into the JWST era and prepare for the ARIEL space mission, addressing this issue becomes paramount because of its implications on our understanding of exoplanets. Although comparing pipeline results for individual exoplanets has become more common, this study is the first to compare pipeline results at the catalogue level. We present a comprehensive framework to statistically compare the outcomes of data analysis reduction on a population of exoplanets and we leverage the large number of observations conducted using the same instrument configured with HST-WFC3. We employ three independent pipelines: Iraclis, excalibur, and CASCADe. Our combined findings reveal that these pipelines, despite starting from the same data and planet system parameters, yield substantially different spectra in some cases. However, the most significant manifestations of pipeline differences are observed in the compositional trends of the resulting exoplanet catalogues. We conclude that pipeline-induced differences lead to biases in the retrieved information, which are not reflected in the retrieved uncertainties. Our findings underscore the critical need to confront these pipeline differences to ensure the reproducibility, accuracy, and reliability of results in exoplanetary research. Our results demonstrate the need to understand the potential for population-level bias that pipelines may inject, which could compromise our understanding of exoplanets as a class of objects.