PAN-z14-1

PAN-z14-1
Image of PAN-z14-1, obtained with the JWST/NIRCam telescope as part of the PANORAMIC Survey project.
Observation data (J2000 epoch)
ConstellationAquarius
Right ascension22h 17m 00.11s
(334.25035598 deg)[1]
Declination+00° 22′ 44.7″
(0.3792145611 deg)[1]
Redshift13.53+0.05
−0.06[1]
Distance13.482 billion light-years
(light travel distance)
33.428 billion light-years
(proper distance)[2]
Apparent magnitude (V)20.6±0.2[1]
Characteristics
TypeLyman-break galaxy
Half-light radius (physical)760±33 ly (233±10 pc)[1]
Notable featuresIt is the fourth most distant confirmed discovered galaxy.

PAN-z14-1 is a high-redshift Lyman-break galaxy in the constellation Aquarius, discovered in late 2023 by the James Webb Space Telescope as part of a pure parallel observation program and spectroscopically confirmed in mid-January 2026.[1] Its redshift is z = 13.53, making it the fourth most distant galaxy known to date. According to the modern Lambda-CDM model, this redshift corresponds to a time approximately 310 million years after the Big Bang.[1]

Discovery

PAN-z14-1 was first observed in November 2023 as part of the PANORAMIC program, using the NIRCam digital camera on the James Webb Space Telescope.[1]

In January 2026, an international team of researchers published the results of a spectroscopic analysis conducted using the NIRSpec instrument.[1] The spectrum confirmed the presence of a sharp Lyman break, caused by the absorption of short-wavelength radiation by neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium. Based on the measurements, the precise redshift value was determined to be 13.53.[1]

Physical Characteristics

The morphological fits to PAN-z14-1. The top row shows postage stamps of PAN-z14-1 (1.2 × 1.2 arcsec). The middle and bottom rows show the best-fitting galfit model and corresponding residuals, respectively

PAN-z14-1 is classified as an anomalously bright galaxy in the ultraviolet, with an effective radius of just 233±10 parsecs, or 760±33 light-years.[1] The galaxy's absolute stellar magnitude is −20.6±0.2, making it one of the brightest galaxies with a redshift of z > 10.[1] The slope of the continuum in the galaxy's ultraviolet emission lines is β = −2.26±0.08, meaning it is negative or blue. This indicates the presence of a moderately metal-enriched stellar population and possible traces of primordial interstellar dust, which is uncharacteristic of hypothetical metal-free Population III stars.[1] The spectrum exhibits a strong Lyman-alpha break, typical of objects at high redshifts, as well as signs of ionized hydrogen.[1]

The stellar mass of this galaxy is estimated at log(M⋆/M⊙) = 8.23+1.14
−0.21, which is equivalent to 169,824,000 solar masses.[1]

NIRCam data reveal that the galaxy is not a homogeneous sphere. Its structure shows distinct knots or clumps. This could be interpreted either as the result of a merger of two smaller protogalaxies or as the fragmentation of dense gas clouds within a single dark matter halo.[1]

The star formation rate of PAN-z14-1 is estimated at 4.8+13.6
−4.8 solar masses per year. This star formation intensity, combined with its relatively small size, results in an extremely high surface brightness.[1]

According to the current ΛCDM parameters, this redshift of 13.53 corresponds to a light-travel time (lookback time) of 13.482 billion years. However, due to the expansion of the Universe, its comoving distance is 33.428 Gly.[2]

In terms of physical properties, PAN-z14-1 is strikingly similar to the previously confirmed galaxy JADES-GS-z14-0.[1] The absence of strong emission lines and its large physical size are consistent with a forming picture of two potentially distinct galaxy populations at z > 10, differing in their star formation rate surface density.[1] In this scenario, PAN-z14-1 is the second example of a "normal," extended, bright, star-forming galaxy at z ≈ 14, and it notably differs from another class of extremely compact galaxies with strong emission lines recently discovered at extreme redshifts by JWST.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Donnan, C. T.; McLeod, D. J.; McLure, R. J.; Dunlop, J. S.; Cullen, F.; Dickinson, M.; Arrabal Haro, P.; Taylor, A. J.; Bondestam, C.; Liu, F.-Y.; Arellano-Córdova, K. Z.; Barrufet, L.; Begley, R.; Carnall, A. C.; Golawska, H.; Leung, H.-H.; Scholte, D.; Stanton, T. M. (7 April 2026). "Spectroscopic confirmation of a large and luminous galaxy with weak emission lines at z = 13.53". arXiv:2601.11515v2 [astro-ph.GA].
  2. 1 2 Wright, Edward L. (2022). "Ned Wright's Javascript Cosmology Calculator". University of California, Los Angeles. Retrieved 24 November 2022. (H0=67.4 and OmegaM=0.315 (see Table/Planck2018 at "Lambda-CDM model#Parameters" )
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.