Deep VLT V-band Imaging of the Field of a z=10 Candidate Galaxy: Below the Lyman Limit?

Abstract

We present a deep 16.8 ks V-band image of the field of a candidate z=10 galaxy magnified by the foreground (z=0.25) cluster A1835. The image was obtained with FORS1 on VLT-Kueyen to test whether the V-band lies below the Lyman limit for this very high redshift candidate. A detection would unambiguously rule out that the source is at z=10. The 3sigma detection limit of the image in the area of the z=10 candidate is V_AB=28.0 mag in a 2 arcsec diameter aperture (about 3 times the seeing FWHM of 0.7 arcsec). No source at the position of the candidate galaxy is detected down to this limit. Formally, this is consistent with the V-band probing below the Lyman limit in the rest-frame of a z=10 source. However, given the recent non-detection of the object in a deep H-band exposure with NIRI on Gemini North down to H_AB=26.0 mag (3sigma in a 1.4 arcsec aperture) and concerns about the detection of the reported associated emission line, it may be possible that this source is spurious. We discuss several astrophysical possibilities to explain the puzzling nature of this source and find none of them compelling.

arXiv commentaccepted for publication in ApJ

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