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Characterizing the structural properties of galaxies in high-redshift protoclusters is key to our understanding of the environmental effects on galaxy evolution in the early stages of galaxy and structure formation. In this study, we assess the structural properties of 85 and 87 Hα emission-line candidates (HAEs) in the densest regions of two massive protoclusters, BOSS1244 and BOSS1542, respectively, using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) H-band imaging data. Our results show a true pair fraction of 22 ± 5 (33 ± 6) per cent in BOSS1244 (BOSS1542), which yields a merger rate of 0.41 ± 0.09 (0.52 ± 0.04) Gyr−1 for massive HAEs with log (M*/M⊙) ≥ 10.3. This rate is 1.8 (2.8) times higher than that of the general fields at the same epoch. Our sample of HAEs exhibits half-light radii and Sérsic indices that cover a broader range than field star-forming galaxies. Additionally, about 15 per cent of the HAEs are as compact as the most massive (log (M*/M⊙) ≳ 11) spheroid-dominated population. These results suggest that the high galaxy density and cold dynamical state (i.e. velocity dispersion of <400 km s−1) are key factors that drive galaxy mergers and promote structural evolution in the two protoclusters. Our findings also indicate that both the local environment (on group scales) and the global environment play essential roles in shaping galaxy morphologies in protoclusters. This is evident in the systematic differences observed in the structural properties of galaxies between BOSS1244 and BOSS1542.

 

Abstract Based on Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 16, we have detected the large-scale structure of Ly α emission in the universe at redshifts z = 2–3.5 by cross-correlating quasar positions and Ly α emission imprinted in the residual spectra of luminous red galaxies. We apply an analytical model to fit the corresponding Ly α surface brightness profile and multipoles of the redshift-space quasar–Ly α emission cross-correlation function. The model suggests an average cosmic Ly α luminosity density of 6.6 − 3.1 + 3.3 × 10 40 erg s − 1 cMpc − 3 , a ∼2 σ detection with a median value about 8–9 times those estimated from deep narrowband surveys of Ly α emitters at similar redshifts. Although the low signal-to-noise ratio prevents us from a significant detection of the Ly α forest–Ly α emission cross-correlation, the measurement is consistent with the prediction of our best-fit model from quasar–Ly α emission cross-correlation within current uncertainties. We rule out the scenario where the Ly α photons mainly originate from quasars. We find that Ly α emission from star-forming galaxies, including contributions from that concentrated around the galaxy centers and that in diffuse Ly α -emitting halos, is able to explain the bulk of the Ly α luminosity density inferred from our measurements. Ongoing and future surveys can further improve the measurements and advance our understanding of the cosmic Ly α emission field. 

Streams of intergalactic gas enriched by previous star formation were observed spiraling toward a massive galaxy. 

Abstract We report the first spatially resolved measurements of gas-phase metallicity radial gradients in star-forming galaxies in overdense environments at z ≳ 2. The spectroscopic data are acquired by the MAMMOTH-Grism survey, a Hubble Space Telescope (HST) cycle 28 medium program. This program is obtaining 45 orbits of WFC3/IR grism spectroscopy in the density peak regions of three massive galaxy protoclusters (BOSS 1244, BOSS 1542, and BOSS 1441) at z = 2–3. Our sample in the BOSS 1244 field consists of 20 galaxies with stellar mass ranging from 10 9.0 to 10 10.3 M ⊙ , star formation rate (SFR) from 10 to 240 M ⊙ yr −1 , and global gas-phase metallicity ( 12 + log ( O / H ) ) from 8.2 to 8.6. At 1 σ confidence level, 2/20 galaxies in our sample show positive (inverted) gradients—the relative abundance of oxygen increasing with galactocentric radius, opposite the usual trend. Furthermore, 1/20 shows negative gradients, and 17/20 are consistent with flat gradients. This high fraction of flat/inverted gradients is uncommon in simulations and previous observations conducted in blank fields at similar redshifts. To understand this, we investigate the correlations among various observed properties of our sample galaxies. We find an anticorrelation between metallicity gradient and global metallicity of our galaxies residing in extreme overdensities, and a marked deficiency of metallicity in our massive galaxies as compared to their coeval field counterparts. We conclude that the cold-mode gas accretion plays an active role in shaping the chemical evolution of galaxies in the protocluster environments, diluting their central chemical abundance, and flattening/inverting their metallicity gradients. 

Abstract Studies of rest-frame optical emission in quasars at z > 6 have historically been limited by the wavelengths accessible by ground-based telescopes. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) now offers the opportunity to probe this emission deep into the reionization epoch. We report the observations of eight quasars at z > 6.5 using the JWST/NIRCam Wide Field Slitless Spectroscopy as a part of the “A SPectroscopic survey of biased halos In the Reionization Era (ASPIRE)” program. Our JWST spectra cover the quasars’ emission between rest frame ∼4100 and 5100 Å. The profiles of these quasars’ broad H β emission lines span a full width at half maximum from 3000 to 6000 km s −1 . The H β -based virial black hole (BH) masses, ranging from 0.6 to 2.1 billion solar masses, are generally consistent with their Mg ii -based BH masses. The new measurements based on the more reliable H β tracer thus confirm the existence of a billion solar-mass BHs in the reionization epoch. In the observed [O iii ] λ λ 4960,5008 doublets of these luminous quasars, broad components are more common than narrow core components (≤ 1200 km s −1 ), and only one quasar shows stronger narrow components than broad. Two quasars exhibit significantly broad and blueshifted [O iii ] emission, thought to trace galactic-scale outflows, with median velocities of −610 and −1430 km s −1 relative to the [C ii ] 158 μ m line. All eight quasars show strong optical Fe ii emission and follow the eigenvector 1 relations defined by low-redshift quasars. The entire ASPIRE program will eventually cover 25 quasars and provide a statistical sample for the studies of the BHs and quasar spectral properties. 

Abstract The MAMMOTH-1 nebula at z = 2.317 is an enormous Ly α nebula (ELAN) extending to a ∼440 kpc scale at the center of the extreme galaxy overdensity BOSS 1441. In this paper, we present observations of the CO(3 − 2) and 250 GHz dust-continuum emission from MAMMOTH-1 using the IRAM NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array. Our observations show that CO(3 − 2) emission in this ELAN has not extended widespread emission into the circum- and inter-galactic media. We also find a remarkable concentration of six massive galaxies in CO(3 − 2) emission in the central ∼100 kpc region of the ELAN. Their velocity dispersions suggest a total halo mass of M 200 c ∼ 10 13.1 M ⊙ , marking a possible protocluster core associated with the ELAN. The peak position of the CO(3 − 2) line emission from the obscured AGN is consistent with the location of the intensity peak of MAMMOTH-1 in the rest-frame UV band. Its luminosity line ratio between the CO(3 − 2) and CO(1 − 0) r 3,1 is 0.61 ± 0.17. The other five galaxies have CO(3 − 2) luminosities in the range of (2.1–7.1) × 10 9 K km s −1 pc 2 , with the star-formation rates derived from the 250 GHz continuum of (<36)–224 M ⊙ yr −1 . Follow-up spectroscopic observations will further confirm more member galaxies and improve the accuracy of the halo mass estimation. 

Abstract We present the first results from the JWST program A SPectroscopic survey of biased halos In the Reionization Era (ASPIRE). This program represents an imaging and spectroscopic survey of 25 reionization-era quasars and their environments by utilizing the unprecedented capabilities of NIRCam Wide Field Slitless Spectroscopy (WFSS) mode. ASPIRE will deliver the largest ( ∼ 280 arcmin 2 ) galaxy redshift survey at 3–4 μ m among JWST Cycle 1 programs and provide extensive legacy values for studying the formation of the earliest supermassive black holes, the assembly of galaxies, early metal enrichment, and cosmic reionization. In this first ASPIRE paper, we report the discovery of a filamentary structure traced by the luminous quasar J0305–3150 and 10 [O iii ] emitters at z = 6.6. This structure has a 3D galaxy overdensity of δ gal = 12.6 over 637 cMpc 3 , one of the most overdense structures known in the early universe, and could eventually evolve into a massive galaxy cluster. Together with existing VLT/MUSE and ALMA observations of this field, our JWST observations reveal that J0305–3150 traces a complex environment where both UV-bright and dusty galaxies are present and indicate that the early evolution of galaxies around the quasar is not simultaneous. In addition, we discovered 31 [O iii ] emitters in this field at other redshifts, 5.3 < z < 6.7, with half of them situated at z ∼ 5.4 and 6.2. This indicates that star-forming galaxies, such as [O iii ] emitters, are generally clustered at high redshifts. These discoveries demonstrate the unparalleled redshift survey capabilities of NIRCam WFSS and the potential of the full ASPIRE survey data set. 

ABSTRACT Submillimetre galaxies represent a rapid growth phase of both star formation and massive galaxies. Mapping SMGs in galaxy protoclusters provides key insights into where and how these extreme starbursts take place in connections with the assembly of the large-scale structure in the early Universe. We search for SMGs at 850 $\rm{\mu m}$ using JCMT/SCUBA-2 in two massive protoclusters at z = 2.24, BOSS1244 and BOSS1542, and detect 43 and 54 sources with S850 > 4 mJy at the 4σ level within an effective area of 264 arcmin2, respectively. We construct the intrinsic number counts and find that the abundance of SMGs is 2.0 ± 0.3 and 2.1 ± 0.2 times that of the general fields, confirming that BOSS1244 and BOSS1542 contain a higher fraction of dusty galaxies with strongly enhanced star formation. The volume densities of the SMGs are estimated to be ∼15–30 times the average, significantly higher than the overdensity factor (∼6) traced by H α emission-line galaxies (HAEs). More importantly, we discover a prominent offset between the spatial distributions of the two populations in these two protoclusters – SMGs are mostly located around the high-density regions of HAEs, and few are seen inside these regions. This finding may have revealed for the first time the occurrence of violent star formation enhancement in the outskirts of the HAE density peaks, likely driven by the boosting of gas supplies and/or starburst triggering events. Meanwhile, the lack of SMGs inside the most overdense regions at z ∼ 2 implies a transition to the environment disfavouring extreme starbursts.