Evolution of the Mass–Metallicity Relation from Redshift z ≈ 8 to the Local Universe

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/acdbc1
• Publication Date: 2023-10-26T14:46:11Z
• Authors: Danial Langeroodi; Jens Hjorth; Wenlei Chen; Patrick L. Kelly; Hayley Williams; Yu-Heng Lin; Claudia Scarlata; Adi Zitrin; Tom Broadhurst; Jose M. Diego; Xiaosheng Huang; Alexei V. Filippenko; Ryan J. Foley; Saurabh Jha; Anton M. Koekemoer; Masamune Oguri; Ismael Perez-Fournon; Justin Pierel; Frederick Poidevin; Lou Strolger
• Keywords: Stellar mass

Abstract A tight positive correlation between the stellar mass and gas-phase metallicity of galaxies has been observed at low redshifts. The redshift evolution this can strongly constrain theories galaxy evolution. advent JWST allows probing mass–metallicity relation redshifts far beyond what was previously accessible. Here we report discovery two emission line 8.15 8.16 in NIRCam imaging NIRSpec spectroscopy targets gravitationally lensed by cluster RX J2129.4+0005. We measure their metallicities masses along with nine additional 7.2 < z spec 9.5 to first quantitative statistical inference ≈ 8. ∼0.9 dex normalization from 8 local universe; a fixed mass, are times less metal enriched compared present day. Our inferred is agreement predictions FIRE simulations. slope similar or slightly shallower than that predicted lower compare extremely low-metallicity analog candidates universe, finding they generally distinct extreme “green peas,” but strong ratios “blueberry galaxies.” Despite similarity, have systematically blueberry galaxies.