PHANGS-JWST First Results: The 21 $\mu$m Compact Source Population

Abstract

We use PHANGS-JWST data to identify and classify 1271 compact 21 $\mu$m sources in four nearby galaxies using MIRI F2100W data. We identify sources using a dendrogram-based algorithm, and we measure the background-subtracted flux densities for JWST bands from 2 $\mu$m to 21 $\mu$m. Using the SED in JWST as well as HST bands, plus ALMA and MUSE/VLT observations, we classify the sources by eye. Then we use this classification to define regions in color-color space, and so establish a quantitative framework for classifying sources. We identify 1085 sources as belonging to the ISM of the target galaxies with the remainder being dusty stars or background galaxies. These 21 $\mu$m sources are strongly spatially associated with HII regions ($>92\%$ of sources), while 74$\%$ of sources are coincident with a stellar association defined in the HST data. Using SED fitting, we find that the stellar masses of the 21 $\mu$m sources span a range of 10${}^2$ to 10${}^4{M}_{\odot }$ with mass-weighted ages down to 2 Myr. There is a tight correlation between attenuation-corrected H$\alpha$ and 21 $\mu$m luminosity for $L_{\nu ,F2100W}>10^{19}{\mathrm{W}\mathrm{Hz}}^{-1}$. Young embedded source candidates selected at 21 $\mu$m are found below this threshold and have $M_{\star }<10^3{M}_{\odot }$.

15 pages, 5 figures, Accepted as part of a PHANGS-JWST Focus Issue to appear in ApJ

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