Extreme emission-line galaxies in CANDELS: Broadband-selected, starbursting dwarf galaxies at z > 1

A. Van Der Wel; A. N. Straughn; H. W. Rix; S. L. Finkelstein; A. M. Koekemoer; B. J. Weiner; S. Wuyts; E. F. Bell; S. M. Faber; J. R. Trump; D. C. Koo; H. C. Ferguson; C. Scarlata; N. P. Hathi; J. S. Dunlop; J. A. Newman; M. Dickinson; K. Jahnke; B. W. Salmon; D. F. De Mello; D. D. Kocevski; K. Lai; N. A. Grogin; S. A. Rodney; Yicheng Guo; E. J. McGrath; K. S. Lee; G. Barro; K. H. Huang; A. G. Riess; M. L.N. Ashby; S. P. Willner

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/742/2/111

Extreme emission-line galaxies in CANDELS: Broadband-selected, starbursting dwarf galaxies at z > 1

A. Van Der Wel
, A. N. Straughn
, H. W. Rix
, S. L. Finkelstein
, A. M. Koekemoer
, B. J. Weiner
, S. Wuyts
, E. F. Bell
, S. M. Faber
, J. R. Trump
, D. C. Koo
, H. C. Ferguson
, C. Scarlata
, N. P. Hathi
, J. S. Dunlop
, J. A. Newman
, M. Dickinson
, K. Jahnke
, B. W. Salmon
, D. F. De Mello

D. D. Kocevski, K. Lai, N. A. Grogin, S. A. Rodney, Yicheng Guo, E. J. McGrath, K. S. Lee, G. Barro, K. H. Huang, A. G. Riess, M. L.N. Ashby, S. P. Willner

Multiple Mirror Telescope Observatory

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

145 Scopus citations

Abstract

We identify an abundant population of extreme emission-line galaxies (EELGs) at redshift z ∼ 1.7 in the Cosmic Assembly Near-IR Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey imaging from Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 (HST/WFC3). Sixty-nine EELG candidates are selected by the large contribution of exceptionally bright emission lines to their near-infrared broadband magnitudes. Supported by spectroscopic confirmation of strong [O III] emission lines - with rest-frame equivalent widths ∼1000 Å- in the four candidates that have HST/WFC3 grism observations, we conclude that these objects are galaxies with ∼10⁸ M_⊙ in stellar mass, undergoing an enormous starburst phase with M_*/M _*;^̇of only ∼15Myr. These bursts may cause outflows that are strong enough to produce cored dark matter profiles in low-mass galaxies. The individual star formation rates and the comoving number density (3.7 × 10^-4 Mpc^-3) can produce in ∼4Gyr much of the stellar mass density that is presently contained in 10 ⁸-10⁹ M_⊙ dwarf galaxies. Therefore, our observations provide a strong indication that many or even most of the stars in present-day dwarf galaxies formed in strong, short-lived bursts, mostly at z > 1.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	111
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	742
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/742/2/111
State	Published - Dec 1 2011

Keywords

galaxies: dwarf
galaxies: evolution
galaxies: formation
galaxies: high-redshift
galaxies: starburst

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1088/0004-637X/742/2/111

Cite this

Van Der Wel, A., Straughn, A. N., Rix, H. W., Finkelstein, S. L., Koekemoer, A. M., Weiner, B. J., Wuyts, S., Bell, E. F., Faber, S. M., Trump, J. R., Koo, D. C., Ferguson, H. C., Scarlata, C., Hathi, N. P., Dunlop, J. S., Newman, J. A., Dickinson, M., Jahnke, K., Salmon, B. W., ... Willner, S. P. (2011). Extreme emission-line galaxies in CANDELS: Broadband-selected, starbursting dwarf galaxies at z > 1. Astrophysical Journal, 742(2), Article 111. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/742/2/111

Van Der Wel, A, Straughn, AN, Rix, HW, Finkelstein, SL, Koekemoer, AM, Weiner, BJ, Wuyts, S, Bell, EF, Faber, SM, Trump, JR, Koo, DC, Ferguson, HC, Scarlata, C, Hathi, NP, Dunlop, JS, Newman, JA, Dickinson, M, Jahnke, K, Salmon, BW, De Mello, DF, Kocevski, DD, Lai, K, Grogin, NA, Rodney, SA, Guo, Y, McGrath, EJ, Lee, KS, Barro, G, Huang, KH, Riess, AG, Ashby, MLN & Willner, SP 2011, 'Extreme emission-line galaxies in CANDELS: Broadband-selected, starbursting dwarf galaxies at z > 1', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 742, no. 2, 111. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/742/2/111

@article{b9e2a8eb7c634f0588aa54bf7e03365a,

title = "Extreme emission-line galaxies in CANDELS: Broadband-selected, starbursting dwarf galaxies at z > 1",

abstract = "We identify an abundant population of extreme emission-line galaxies (EELGs) at redshift z ∼ 1.7 in the Cosmic Assembly Near-IR Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey imaging from Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 (HST/WFC3). Sixty-nine EELG candidates are selected by the large contribution of exceptionally bright emission lines to their near-infrared broadband magnitudes. Supported by spectroscopic confirmation of strong [O III] emission lines - with rest-frame equivalent widths ∼1000 {\AA}- in the four candidates that have HST/WFC3 grism observations, we conclude that these objects are galaxies with ∼108 M⊙ in stellar mass, undergoing an enormous starburst phase with M*/M *{\.;}of only ∼15Myr. These bursts may cause outflows that are strong enough to produce cored dark matter profiles in low-mass galaxies. The individual star formation rates and the comoving number density (3.7 × 10-4 Mpc-3) can produce in ∼4Gyr much of the stellar mass density that is presently contained in 10 8-109 M⊙ dwarf galaxies. Therefore, our observations provide a strong indication that many or even most of the stars in present-day dwarf galaxies formed in strong, short-lived bursts, mostly at z > 1.",

keywords = "galaxies: dwarf, galaxies: evolution, galaxies: formation, galaxies: high-redshift, galaxies: starburst",

author = "\{Van Der Wel\}, A. and Straughn, \{A. N.\} and Rix, \{H. W.\} and Finkelstein, \{S. L.\} and Koekemoer, \{A. M.\} and Weiner, \{B. J.\} and S. Wuyts and Bell, \{E. F.\} and Faber, \{S. M.\} and Trump, \{J. R.\} and Koo, \{D. C.\} and Ferguson, \{H. C.\} and C. Scarlata and Hathi, \{N. P.\} and Dunlop, \{J. S.\} and Newman, \{J. A.\} and M. Dickinson and K. Jahnke and Salmon, \{B. W.\} and \{De Mello\}, \{D. F.\} and Kocevski, \{D. D.\} and K. Lai and Grogin, \{N. A.\} and Rodney, \{S. A.\} and Yicheng Guo and McGrath, \{E. J.\} and Lee, \{K. S.\} and G. Barro and Huang, \{K. H.\} and Riess, \{A. G.\} and Ashby, \{M. L.N.\} and Willner, \{S. P.\}",

year = "2011",

month = dec,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1088/0004-637X/742/2/111",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "742",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "2",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Extreme emission-line galaxies in CANDELS

T2 - Broadband-selected, starbursting dwarf galaxies at z > 1

AU - Van Der Wel, A.

AU - Straughn, A. N.

AU - Rix, H. W.

AU - Finkelstein, S. L.

AU - Koekemoer, A. M.

AU - Weiner, B. J.

AU - Wuyts, S.

AU - Bell, E. F.

AU - Faber, S. M.

AU - Trump, J. R.

AU - Koo, D. C.

AU - Ferguson, H. C.

AU - Scarlata, C.

AU - Hathi, N. P.

AU - Dunlop, J. S.

AU - Newman, J. A.

AU - Dickinson, M.

AU - Jahnke, K.

AU - Salmon, B. W.

AU - De Mello, D. F.

AU - Kocevski, D. D.

AU - Lai, K.

AU - Grogin, N. A.

AU - Rodney, S. A.

AU - Guo, Yicheng

AU - McGrath, E. J.

AU - Lee, K. S.

AU - Barro, G.

AU - Huang, K. H.

AU - Riess, A. G.

AU - Ashby, M. L.N.

AU - Willner, S. P.

PY - 2011/12/1

Y1 - 2011/12/1

N2 - We identify an abundant population of extreme emission-line galaxies (EELGs) at redshift z ∼ 1.7 in the Cosmic Assembly Near-IR Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey imaging from Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 (HST/WFC3). Sixty-nine EELG candidates are selected by the large contribution of exceptionally bright emission lines to their near-infrared broadband magnitudes. Supported by spectroscopic confirmation of strong [O III] emission lines - with rest-frame equivalent widths ∼1000 Å- in the four candidates that have HST/WFC3 grism observations, we conclude that these objects are galaxies with ∼108 M⊙ in stellar mass, undergoing an enormous starburst phase with M*/M *;̇of only ∼15Myr. These bursts may cause outflows that are strong enough to produce cored dark matter profiles in low-mass galaxies. The individual star formation rates and the comoving number density (3.7 × 10-4 Mpc-3) can produce in ∼4Gyr much of the stellar mass density that is presently contained in 10 8-109 M⊙ dwarf galaxies. Therefore, our observations provide a strong indication that many or even most of the stars in present-day dwarf galaxies formed in strong, short-lived bursts, mostly at z > 1.

AB - We identify an abundant population of extreme emission-line galaxies (EELGs) at redshift z ∼ 1.7 in the Cosmic Assembly Near-IR Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey imaging from Hubble Space Telescope/Wide Field Camera 3 (HST/WFC3). Sixty-nine EELG candidates are selected by the large contribution of exceptionally bright emission lines to their near-infrared broadband magnitudes. Supported by spectroscopic confirmation of strong [O III] emission lines - with rest-frame equivalent widths ∼1000 Å- in the four candidates that have HST/WFC3 grism observations, we conclude that these objects are galaxies with ∼108 M⊙ in stellar mass, undergoing an enormous starburst phase with M*/M *;̇of only ∼15Myr. These bursts may cause outflows that are strong enough to produce cored dark matter profiles in low-mass galaxies. The individual star formation rates and the comoving number density (3.7 × 10-4 Mpc-3) can produce in ∼4Gyr much of the stellar mass density that is presently contained in 10 8-109 M⊙ dwarf galaxies. Therefore, our observations provide a strong indication that many or even most of the stars in present-day dwarf galaxies formed in strong, short-lived bursts, mostly at z > 1.

KW - galaxies: dwarf

KW - galaxies: evolution

KW - galaxies: formation

KW - galaxies: high-redshift

KW - galaxies: starburst

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/81255190663

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/81255190663#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1088/0004-637X/742/2/111

DO - 10.1088/0004-637X/742/2/111

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:81255190663

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 742

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2

M1 - 111

ER -

Extreme emission-line galaxies in CANDELS: Broadband-selected, starbursting dwarf galaxies at z > 1

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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