Finding High-redshift Galaxies with JWST
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Finding High-redshift Galaxies with JWST. / Steinhardt, Charles L.; Jespersen, Christian Kragh; Linzer, Nora B.
In: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 923, No. 1, 8, 07.12.2021.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Finding High-redshift Galaxies with JWST
AU - Steinhardt, Charles L.
AU - Jespersen, Christian Kragh
AU - Linzer, Nora B.
PY - 2021/12/7
Y1 - 2021/12/7
N2 - One of the primary goals for the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope is to observe the first galaxies. Predictions for planned and proposed surveys have typically focused on average galaxy counts, assuming a random distribution of galaxies across the observed field. The first and most-massive galaxies, however, are expected to be tightly clustered, an effect known as cosmic variance. We show that cosmic variance is likely to be the dominant contribution to uncertainty for high-redshift mass and luminosity functions, and that median high-redshift and high-mass galaxy counts for planned observations lie significantly below average counts. Several different strategies are considered for improving our understanding of the first galaxies, including adding depth, area, and independent pointings. Adding independent pointings is shown to be the most efficient both for discovering the single highest-redshift galaxy and also for constraining mass and luminosity functions.
AB - One of the primary goals for the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope is to observe the first galaxies. Predictions for planned and proposed surveys have typically focused on average galaxy counts, assuming a random distribution of galaxies across the observed field. The first and most-massive galaxies, however, are expected to be tightly clustered, an effect known as cosmic variance. We show that cosmic variance is likely to be the dominant contribution to uncertainty for high-redshift mass and luminosity functions, and that median high-redshift and high-mass galaxy counts for planned observations lie significantly below average counts. Several different strategies are considered for improving our understanding of the first galaxies, including adding depth, area, and independent pointings. Adding independent pointings is shown to be the most efficient both for discovering the single highest-redshift galaxy and also for constraining mass and luminosity functions.
KW - COSMIC VARIANCE
KW - MASSIVE GALAXIES
KW - BILLION YEARS
KW - LUMINOSITY
KW - MODEL
KW - PREDICTIONS
KW - UNIVERSE
U2 - 10.3847/1538-4357/ac2a2f
DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/ac2a2f
M3 - Journal article
VL - 923
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
SN - 0004-637X
IS - 1
M1 - 8
ER -
ID: 286851442