THE EARLY EARLY TYPE: DISCOVERY OF A PASSIVE GALAXY AT z{sub spec} {approx} 3

Journal Article · Sat Nov 10 00:00:00 EST 2012 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/759/2/L44· OSTI ID:22078433

Gobat, R; Strazzullo, V; Daddi, E; Bethermin, M ^[1]; Onodera, M; Carollo, M ^[2]; Renzini, A ^[3]; Dickinson, M ^[4]; Cimatti, A ^[5]

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1. Laboratoire AIM-Paris-Saclay, CEA/DSM-CNRS, Universite Paris Diderot, Irfu/Service d'Astrophysique, CEA Saclay, Orme des Merisiers, F-91191 Gif sur Yvette (France)
2. Institute for Astronomy, ETH Zuerich Wolfgang-Pauli-strasse 27, CH-8093 Zuerich (Switzerland)
3. INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova (Italy)
4. National Optical Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, AZ 85726 (United States)
5. Dipartimento di Astronomia, Universita di Bologna, Via Ranzani 1, I-40127 Bologna (Italy)

We present the discovery of a massive, quiescent galaxy at z = 2.99. We have obtained an Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 spectrum of this object and measured its redshift from the detection of a deep 4000 A break consistent with an old population and a high metallicity. By stellar population modeling of both its grism spectrum and broadband photometry, we derive an age of {approx}0.7 Gyr, implying a formation redshift of z > 4, and a mass >10{sup 11} M{sub Sun }. Although this passive galaxy is the most distant confirmed so far, we find that it is slightly less compact than other z > 2 early types of similar mass, being overall more analogous to those z {approx} 1.6 field early-type galaxies. The discovery of this object shows that early-type galaxies are detectable to at least z = 3 and suggests that the diversity of structural properties found in z = 1.4-2 ellipticals to earlier epochs could have its origin in a variety of formation histories among their progenitors.

• OSTI ID: 22078433
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 759, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXIES
MASS
ORIGIN
PHOTOMETRY
RED SHIFT
SPECTRA
TELESCOPES