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Unveiling the Cosmic Gems Arc at z ∼ 10 with JWST NIRCam

Larry D. Bradley*, Angela Adamo, Eros Vanzella, Keren Sharon, Gabriel Brammer, Dan Coe, Jose M. Diego, Vasily Kokorev, Guillaume Mahler, Masamune Oguri, Dan Abdurro'uf, Rachana Bhatawdekar, Lise Christensen, Seiji Fujimoto, Takuya Hashimoto, Tiger Y. -Y Hsiao, Akio K. Inoue, Yolanda Jimenez-Teja, Matteo Messa, Colin NormanMassimo Ricotti, Yoichi Tamura, Rogier A. Windhorst, Xinfeng Xu, Adi Zitrin

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

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Abstract

We present recent JWST NIRCam imaging observations of SPT0615-JD (also known as the Cosmic Gems Arc), lensed by the galaxy cluster SPT-CL J0615-5746. The 5 '' long arc is the most highly magnified z > 10 galaxy known. It straddles the lensing critical curve and reveals five star clusters with radii of similar to 1 pc or less. We measure the full arc to have F200W 24.5 AB mag, consisting of two mirror images, each 25.3 AB mag with a median magnification of mu similar to 6 0 - 8 + 17 (delensed 29.7 AB mag, M-UV = -17.8). The galaxy has an extremely strong Lyman break F115W-F200W >3.2 mag (2 sigma lower limit), is undetected in all bluer filters (<2 sigma), and has a very blue continuum slope redward of the break (beta = -2.7 +/- 0.1). This results in a photometric redshift z(phot) = 10.2 +/- 0.2 (95% confidence) with no significant likelihood below z < 9.8. Based on spectral energy distribution fitting to the total photometry, we estimate an intrinsic stellar mass of M-* similar to 2.4-5.6 x 10(7)M(circle dot), young mass-weighted age of similar to 21-79 Myr, low dust content (A(V) < 0.15), and a low metallicity of less than or similar to 1% Z(circle dot). We identify a fainter third counterimage candidate within 2 . '' 2 of the predicted position, lensed to AB mag 28.4 and magnified by mu similar to 2, suggesting the fold arc may only show similar to 60% of the galaxy. SPT0615-JD is a unique laboratory to study star clusters observed within a galaxy just 460 Myr after the Big Bang.
Original languageEnglish
Article number32
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume991
Issue number1
Number of pages17
ISSN0004-637X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 20 Sept 2025

Keywords

  • Stellar population synthesis
  • Star-forming galaxies
  • Initial mass function
  • Greater-than 8
  • Globular-clusters
  • Nirspec spectroscopy
  • Luminosity functions
  • Space density
  • Milky-way
  • Reionization

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