Abstract
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 394-397 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Nature |
| Volume | 513 |
| Issue number | 7518 |
| Early online date | 27 Aug 2014 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 18 Sep 2014 |
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A massive galaxy in its core formation phase three billion years after the Big Bang. / Nelson, E.; van Dokkum, P.; Franx, M.; Brammer, G.; Momcheva, I.; Schreiber, N. F.; da Cunha, E.; Tacconi, L.; Bezanson, R.; Kirkpatrick, A.; Leja, J.; Rix, H.-W.; Skelton, R.; van der Wel, A.; Whitaker, K.; Wuyts, S.
In: Nature, Vol. 513, No. 7518, 18.09.2014, p. 394-397.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - A massive galaxy in its core formation phase three billion years after the Big Bang
AU - Nelson, E.
AU - van Dokkum, P.
AU - Franx, M.
AU - Brammer, G.
AU - Momcheva, I.
AU - Schreiber, N. F.
AU - da Cunha, E.
AU - Tacconi, L.
AU - Bezanson, R.
AU - Kirkpatrick, A.
AU - Leja, J.
AU - Rix, H.-W.
AU - Skelton, R.
AU - van der Wel, A.
AU - Whitaker, K.
AU - Wuyts, S.
PY - 2014/9/18
Y1 - 2014/9/18
N2 - Most massive galaxies are thought to have formed their dense stellar cores in early cosmic epochs1, 2, 3. Previous studies have found galaxies with high gas velocity dispersions4 or small apparent sizes5, 6, 7, but so far no objects have been identified with both the stellar structure and the gas dynamics of a forming core. Here we report a candidate core in the process of formation 11 billion years ago, at redshift z = 2.3. This galaxy, GOODS-N-774, has a stellar mass of 100 billion solar masses, a half-light radius of 1.0 kiloparsecs and a star formation rate of solar masses per year. The star-forming gas has a velocity dispersion of 317 ± 30 kilometres per second. This is similar to the stellar velocity dispersions of the putative descendants of GOODS-N-774, which are compact quiescent galaxies at z ≈ 2 (refs 8, 9, 10, 11) and giant elliptical galaxies in the nearby Universe. Galaxies such as GOODS-N-774 seem to be rare; however, from the star formation rate and size of this galaxy we infer that many star-forming cores may be heavily obscured, and could be missed in optical and near-infrared surveys.
AB - Most massive galaxies are thought to have formed their dense stellar cores in early cosmic epochs1, 2, 3. Previous studies have found galaxies with high gas velocity dispersions4 or small apparent sizes5, 6, 7, but so far no objects have been identified with both the stellar structure and the gas dynamics of a forming core. Here we report a candidate core in the process of formation 11 billion years ago, at redshift z = 2.3. This galaxy, GOODS-N-774, has a stellar mass of 100 billion solar masses, a half-light radius of 1.0 kiloparsecs and a star formation rate of solar masses per year. The star-forming gas has a velocity dispersion of 317 ± 30 kilometres per second. This is similar to the stellar velocity dispersions of the putative descendants of GOODS-N-774, which are compact quiescent galaxies at z ≈ 2 (refs 8, 9, 10, 11) and giant elliptical galaxies in the nearby Universe. Galaxies such as GOODS-N-774 seem to be rare; however, from the star formation rate and size of this galaxy we infer that many star-forming cores may be heavily obscured, and could be missed in optical and near-infrared surveys.
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature13616
U2 - 10.1038/nature13616
DO - 10.1038/nature13616
M3 - Article
VL - 513
SP - 394
EP - 397
JO - Nature
JF - Nature
SN - 0028-0836
IS - 7518
ER -