Spectroscopic Confirmation of an Ultra Massive and Compact Galaxy at z=3.35: A Detailed Look at an Early Progenitor of Local Most Massive Ellipticals

Abstract

We present the first spectroscopic confirmation of an ultra-massive galaxy at redshift z>3 using data from Keck-NIRSPEC, VLT-Xshooter, and GTC-Osiris. We detect strong [OIII] and Ly$\alpha$ emission, and weak [OII], CIV, and HeII, placing C1-23152 at a spectroscopic redshift of $z_{spec}$=3.351. The modeling of the emission-line corrected spectral energy distribution results in a best-fit stellar mass of $M_{\ast }=3.1_{-0.7}^{+0.6}\times 10^{11}{M}_{\odot }$, a star-formation rate of <7 $M_{\odot }y{r}^{-1}$, and negligible dust extinction. The stars appear to have formed in a short intense burst ~300-500 Myr prior to the observation epoch, setting the formation redshift of this galaxy at z~4.1. From the analysis of the line ratios and widths, and the observed flux at 24$\mu$m, we confirm the presence of a luminous hidden active galactic nucleus (AGN), with bolometric luminosity of ~$10^{46}erg{s}^{-1}$. Potential contamination to the observed SED from the AGN continuum is constrained, placing a lower limit on the stellar mass of $2\times 10^{11}{M}_{\odot }$. HST/WFC3 $H_{160}$ and ACS $I_{814}$ images are modeled, resulting in an effective radius of $r_e$~1 kpc in the $H_{160}$ band and a Sersic index n~4.4. This object may be a prototype of the progenitors of local most massive elliptical galaxies in the first 2 Gyr of cosmic history, having formed most of its stars at z>4 in a highly dissipative, intense, and short burst of star formation. C1-23152 is completing its transition to a post-starburst phase while hosting a powerful AGN, potentially responsible for the quenching of the star formation activity.

18 pages, 9 figures. Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal

References in corpus (31)

• The Host Galaxies and Classification of Active Galactic Nuclei
• The Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) -- Overview
• The propagation of uncertainties in stellar population synthesis modeling I: The relevance of uncertain aspects of stellar evolution and the IMF to the derived physical properties of galaxies
• EAZY: A Fast, Public Photometric Redshift Code
• A Cosmological Framework for the Co-Evolution of Quasars, Supermassive Black Holes, and Elliptical Galaxies: I. Galaxy Mergers & Quasar Activity
• 3D-HST+CANDELS: The Evolution of the Galaxy Size-Mass Distribution since $z=3$
• An Observational Determination of the Bolometric Quasar Luminosity Function
• Formation of Massive Galaxies at High Redshift: Cold Streams, Clumpy Disks and Compact Spheroids
• An ultra-deep near-infrared spectrum of a compact quiescent galaxy at z=2.2
• 3D-HST WFC3-selected Photometric Catalogs in the Five CANDELS/3D-HST Fields: Photometry, Photometric Redshifts and Stellar Masses
• Detection of quiescent galaxies in a bicolor sequence from z=0-2
• The stellar mass assembly of galaxies from z=0 to z=4. Analysis of a sample selected in the rest-frame near-infrared with Spitzer
• 3D Lyman-alpha radiation transfer. I. Understanding Lyman-alpha line profile morphologies
• Structure and star formation in galaxies out to z=3: evidence for surface density dependent evolution and upsizing
• The Chandra COSMOS Survey, I: Overview and Point Source Catalog
• Ages and metallicities of early-type galaxies in the SDSS: new insight into the physical origin of the colour-magnitude and the Mg2-sigmaV relations
• Photometric redshift and classification for the XMM-COSMOS sources
• What do we learn from IRAC observations of galaxies at 2 < z < 3.5?
• The Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS): Subaru Observations of the HST COSMOS Field
• The VLA-COSMOS Survey: II. Source Catalog of the Large Project
• AzTEC Millimetre Survey of the COSMOS Field: I. Data Reduction and Source Catalogue
• NICMOS Imaging of DRGs in the HDF-S: A Relation Between Star-Formation and Size at z ~ 2.5
• AGN Emission Line Diagnostics and the Mass-Metallicity Relation up to Redshift z~2: the Impact of Selection Effects and Evolution
• Modelling the Pan-Spectral Energy Distribution of Starburst Galaxies: II. Control of the \HII Region Parameters
• Structural Properties of Central Galaxies in Groups and Clusters
• A Population of Massive and Evolved Galaxies at z$\ga$5
• Molecular Gas in a Submillimeter Galaxy at z=4.5: Evidence for a Major Merger at 1 Billion Years after the Big Bang
• Exploring the z=3-4 massive galaxy population with ZFOURGE: the prevalence of dusty and quiescent galaxies
• MOSFIRE Absorption Line Spectroscopy of z > 2 Quiescent Galaxies: Probing a Period of Rapid Size Growth
• A Massive Galaxy in its Core Formation Phase Three Billion Years After the Big Bang
• [OIII] emitters in the field of the MRC 0316-257 protocluster

Cited by in corpus (22)

• An Atlas of Color-selected Quiescent Galaxies at $z>3$ in Public $JWST$ Fields
• A massive galaxy that formed its stars at $z\sim 11$
• The Massive Ancient Galaxies At $z>3$ NEar-infrared (MAGAZ3NE) Survey: Confirmation of Extremely Rapid Star-Formation and Quenching Timescales for Massive Galaxies in the Early Universe
• An Extremely Massive Quiescent Galaxy at $z=3.493$: Evidence of Insufficiently Rapid Quenching Mechanisms in Theoretical Models
• Spectroscopic Confirmation of a Protocluster at $z=3.37$ with a High Fraction of Quiescent Galaxies
• Extending the evolution of the stellar mass-size relation at $z\le 2$ to low stellar mass galaxies from HFF and CANDELS
• CLEAR II: Evidence for Early Formation of the Most Compact Quiescent Galaxies at High Redshift
• On the Gas Content, Star Formation Efficiency, and Environmental Quenching of Massive Galaxies in Proto-Clusters at z~2.0-2.5
• COSMOS2020: Exploring the dawn of quenching for massive galaxies at 3 < z < 5 with a new colour selection method
• The Rapid Build-up of Massive Early-type Galaxies. Supersolar Metallicity, High Velocity Dispersion and Young Age for an ETG at z=3.35
• HST grism spectroscopy of z~3 massive quiescent galaxies: Approaching the metamorphosis
• Beyond UVJ: Color Selection of Galaxies in the JWST Era
• COSMOS2020: Ubiquitous AGN Activity of Massive Quiescent Galaxies at $0<z<5$ Revealed by X-ray and Radio Stacking
• MAGAZ3NE: High Stellar Velocity Dispersions for Ultra-Massive Quiescent Galaxies at $z\gtrsim 3$
• The Number Densities and Stellar Populations of Massive Galaxies at 3 < z < 6: A Diverse, Rapidly Forming Population in the Early Universe
• Compact, bulge dominated structures of spectroscopically confirmed quiescent galaxies at z~3
• Massive quiescent galaxies at $z\sim 3$: a comparison of selection, stellar population and structural properties with simulation predictions
• Early results from GLASS-JWST. IX: First spectroscopic confirmation of low-mass quiescent galaxies at $z>2$ with NIRISS
• Early results from GLASS-JWST XV: properties of the faintest red sources in the NIRCAM deep fields
• MAGAZ3NE: Massive, Extremely Dusty Galaxies at $z\sim 2$ Lead to Photometric Overestimation of Number Densities of the Most Massive Galaxies at $3<z<4$
• Distribution of star formation rates during the rapid assembly of NGC 1399 as deduced from its globular cluster system
• Introducing the FLAMINGOS-2 Split-K Medium Band Filters: The Impact on Photometric Selection of High-z Galaxies in the FENIKS-pilot survey