MIDIS: JWST NIRCam and MIRI Unveil the Stellar Population Properties of Lyα Emitters and Lyman-break Galaxies at z ≃ 3–7

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad15f6
• Publication Date: 2024-03-04T11:20:12Z
• Authors: Edoardo Iani; Karina I. Caputi; Pierluigi Rinaldi; Marianna Annunzia...; Leindert A. Boogaard; Göran Östlin; Luca Costantin; Steven Gillman; Pablo G. Pérez-Go...; Luis Colina; Thomas R. Greve; Gillian Wright; Almudena Alonso-H...; Javier Álvarez-Má...; Arjan Bik; Sarah E. I. Bosman; Alejandro Crespo ...; Andreas Eckart; Jens Hjorth; Iris Jermann; Alvaro Labiano; Danial Langeroodi; Jens Melinder; Thibaud Moutard; Florian Peißker; John P. Pye; Tuomo V. Tikkanen; Paul P. van der Werf; Fabian Walter; Thomas K. Henning; Pierre-Olivier La...; Ewine F. van Dish...
• Keywords: Stellar population

Abstract We study the stellar population properties of 182 spectroscopically confirmed (MUSE/VLT) Ly α emitters (LAEs) and 450 photometrically selected Lyman-break galaxies (LBGs) at z = 2.8–6.7 in Hubble Extreme Deep Field. Leveraging combined power Space Telescope JWST NIRCam MIRI observations, we analyze their rest-frame UV-through-near-IR spectral energy distributions, with playing a crucial role robustly assessing LAEs’ masses ages. Our LAEs are low-mass objects <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mo stretchy="false">(</mml:mo> <mml:msub> <mml:mrow> <mml:mi mathvariant="normal">log</mml:mi> </mml:mrow> <mml:mn>10</mml:mn> </mml:msub> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> <mml:mo>⋆</mml:mo> <mml:mo>/</mml:mo> <mml:mo>⊙</mml:mo> stretchy="false">)</mml:mo> <mml:mo>≃</mml:mo> <mml:mn>7.5</mml:mn> </mml:math> little or no dust extinction ( E B − V ) ≃ 0.1) blue UV continuum slope β −2.2). While 75% our young (&lt;100 Myr), remaining 25% have significantly older populations (≥100 Myr). These old statistically more massive, less extinct, lower specific star formation rate than LAEs. Besides, they populate plane M ⋆ versus along main sequence star-forming galaxies, while starburst region. The comparison between those stellar-mass-matched sample LBGs shows statistical difference these objects, except for LBGs’ redder marginally larger values. Interestingly, 48% ages &lt;10 Myr classified as starbursts, but lack detectable emission. This is likely due to H i resonant scattering and/or dust-selective extinction. Overall, find that observations determining shedding light on LBGs.