A solar metallicity galaxy at z > 7? Possible detection of the [N II] 122 mu m and [O III] 52 mu m lines

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  • Meghana Killi
  • Watson, Darach Jafar
  • Seiji Fujimoto
  • Hollis Akins
  • Kirsten Knudsen
  • Johan Richard
  • Yuichi Harikane
  • Dimitra Rigopoulou
  • Francesca Rizzo
  • Michele Ginolfi
  • Gergo Popping
  • Vasilii Kokorev

We present the first detection of the [NII] 122 mu m and [O III ] 52 mu m lines for a reionization-epoch galaxy. Based on these lines and previous [C II ] 158 mu m and [O III ] 88 mu m measurements, using two different radiati ve transfer models of the interstellar medium, we estimate an upper limit on electron density of < 500 cm(-3) and an approximate gas-phase metallicity of Z/Z(circle dot) similar to 1.1 +/- 0.2 for A1689-zD1, a gravitationally lensed dusty galaxy at z = 7.133. Other measurements or indicators of metallicity so far in galaxy interstellar media at z greater than or similar to 6 are typically an order of magnitude lower than this. The unusually high metallicity makes A1689-zD1 inconsistent with the fundamental metallicity relation, although there is likely significant dust obscuration of the stellar mass, which may partly resolve the inconsistency. Given a solar metallicity, the dust-to-metals ratio is a factor of several lower than expected, hinting that galaxies be yond z similar to 7 may hav e lower dust formation efficiency . Finally , the inferred nitrogen enrichment compared to oxygen, on which the metallicity measurement depends, indicates that star formation in the system is older than about 250 Myr, pushing the beginnings of this galaxy to z > 10.

Original languageEnglish
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume521
Issue number2
Pages (from-to)2526-2534
Number of pages9
ISSN0035-8711
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 14 Mar 2023

    Research areas

  • ISM:abundances, galaxies:high-redshift, galaxies:individual:(A1689-zD1), galaxies:ISM, submillimetre:galaxies, N/O ABUNDANCE RATIOS, LYMAN-BREAK GALAXY, BIG 3 DRAGONS, MASS-METALLICITY, STAR-FORMATION, INTERSTELLAR-MEDIUM, DUST-CONTINUUM, PHYSICAL CONDITIONS, OIII 88-MU-M, ALMA

ID: 345315200