Discovery of an Extremely Metal-Poor Galaxy at $z=3.654$ Using JWST Infrared Spectroscopy

Abstract

We report the discovery of an extremely metal-poor galaxy at a redshift of z = 3.654, identified through infrared spectroscopy using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This galaxy, CAPERS-39810, exhibits a metallicity of 12 + log(O/H) = $6.73\pm 0.13$, indicative of its primitive chemical composition, resembling the early stages of galaxy formation in the Universe. We use JWST NIRSpec/MSA for spectroscopic analysis, complemented by photometric data from the COSMOS2025 catalog. Our analysis employs the R3 strong-line diagnostic method to estimate metallicity, due to the lack of auroral lines in the spectrum. The galaxy's emission lines, including Hb, [O III], Ha and He I, are clearly detected. The rest-frame equivalent widths of the strong hydrogen recombination lines are EW_0(Hb) = $184\pm 48$ Åand EW_0(Ha) = $1144\pm 48$ Å. Furthermore, we perform detailed spectral energy distribution modeling to derive a galaxy logarithmic stellar mass of $8.02_{-0.34}^{+0.22}$ $M_{\odot }$. This discovery adds to the growing body of evidence for the existence of very low-metallicity galaxies existed at cosmic noon of $z\approx 3$, which are crucial for understanding the processes of chemical enrichment and star formation in young galaxies at the cosmic noon.

7 pages, 4 figures