Early Results from GLASS-JWST. XI. Stellar Masses and Mass-to-light Ratio of z > 7 Galaxies

P. Santini; A. Fontana; M. Castellano; N. Leethochawalit; M. Trenti; T. Treu; D. Belfiori; S. Birrer; A. Bonchi; E. Merlin; C. Mason; T. Morishita; M. Nonino; D. Paris; G. Polenta; P. Rosati; L. Yang; K. Boyett; M. Bradac; A. Calabrò; A. Dressler; K. Glazebrook; D. Marchesini; S. Mascia; T. Nanayakkara; L. Pentericci; G. Roberts-Borsani; C. Scarlata; B. Vulcani; Xin Wang

doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ac9586

Early Results from GLASS-JWST. XI. Stellar Masses and Mass-to-light Ratio of z > 7 Galaxies

P. Santini
, A. Fontana
, M. Castellano
, N. Leethochawalit
, M. Trenti
, T. Treu
, D. Belfiori
, S. Birrer
, A. Bonchi
, E. Merlin
, C. Mason
, T. Morishita
, M. Nonino
, D. Paris
, G. Polenta
, P. Rosati
, L. Yang
, K. Boyett
, M. Bradac
, A. Calabrò

A. Dressler, K. Glazebrook, D. Marchesini, S. Mascia, T. Nanayakkara, L. Pentericci, G. Roberts-Borsani, C. Scarlata, B. Vulcani, Xin Wang

Physics and Astronomy

Osservatorio Astronomico Roma
University of Melbourne
ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics
National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand
University of California at Los Angeles
Italian Space Agency
Cosmic Dawn Center
University of Copenhagen
California Institute of Technology
Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
University of Ferrara
Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Bologna
The University of Tokyo
University of Ljubljana
University of California at Davis
Carnegie Institution of Washington
Swinburne University of Technology
Tufts University
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Astronomical Observatory of Padua

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

72 Scopus citations

Abstract

We exploit James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) NIRCam observations from the GLASS-JWST-Early Release Science program to investigate galaxy stellar masses at z > 7. We first show that JWST observations reduce the uncertainties on the stellar mass by a factor of at least 5-10, when compared with the highest-quality data sets available to date. We then study the UV mass-to-light ratio, finding that galaxies exhibit a a two orders of magnitude range of M/L _UV values for a given luminosity, indicative of a broad variety of physical conditions and star formation histories. As a consequence, previous estimates of the cosmic stellar-mass density—based on an average correlation between UV luminosity and stellar mass—can be biased by as much as a factor of ∼6. Our first exploration demonstrates that JWST represents a new era in our understanding of stellar masses at z > 7 and, therefore, of the growth of galaxies prior to cosmic reionization.

Original language	English
Article number	L27
Journal	Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	942
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac9586
State	Published - Jan 1 2023

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Santini, P., Fontana, A., Castellano, M., Leethochawalit, N., Trenti, M., Treu, T., Belfiori, D., Birrer, S., Bonchi, A., Merlin, E., Mason, C., Morishita, T., Nonino, M., Paris, D., Polenta, G., Rosati, P., Yang, L., Boyett, K., Bradac, M., ... Wang, X. (2023). Early Results from GLASS-JWST. XI. Stellar Masses and Mass-to-light Ratio of z > 7 Galaxies. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 942(2), Article L27. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac9586

@article{c50e39ae95184a3b9f34fc264b93d1d1,

title = "Early Results from GLASS-JWST. XI. Stellar Masses and Mass-to-light Ratio of z > 7 Galaxies",

abstract = "We exploit James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) NIRCam observations from the GLASS-JWST-Early Release Science program to investigate galaxy stellar masses at z > 7. We first show that JWST observations reduce the uncertainties on the stellar mass by a factor of at least 5-10, when compared with the highest-quality data sets available to date. We then study the UV mass-to-light ratio, finding that galaxies exhibit a a two orders of magnitude range of M/L UV values for a given luminosity, indicative of a broad variety of physical conditions and star formation histories. As a consequence, previous estimates of the cosmic stellar-mass density{\textemdash}based on an average correlation between UV luminosity and stellar mass{\textemdash}can be biased by as much as a factor of ∼6. Our first exploration demonstrates that JWST represents a new era in our understanding of stellar masses at z > 7 and, therefore, of the growth of galaxies prior to cosmic reionization.",

author = "P. Santini and A. Fontana and M. Castellano and N. Leethochawalit and M. Trenti and T. Treu and D. Belfiori and S. Birrer and A. Bonchi and E. Merlin and C. Mason and T. Morishita and M. Nonino and D. Paris and G. Polenta and P. Rosati and L. Yang and K. Boyett and M. Bradac and A. Calabr{\`o} and A. Dressler and K. Glazebrook and D. Marchesini and S. Mascia and T. Nanayakkara and L. Pentericci and G. Roberts-Borsani and C. Scarlata and B. Vulcani and Xin Wang",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.",

year = "2023",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3847/2041-8213/ac9586",

language = "English",

volume = "942",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal Letters",

issn = "2041-8205",

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Santini, P, Fontana, A, Castellano, M, Leethochawalit, N, Trenti, M, Treu, T, Belfiori, D, Birrer, S, Bonchi, A, Merlin, E, Mason, C, Morishita, T, Nonino, M, Paris, D, Polenta, G, Rosati, P, Yang, L, Boyett, K, Bradac, M, Calabrò, A, Dressler, A, Glazebrook, K, Marchesini, D, Mascia, S, Nanayakkara, T, Pentericci, L, Roberts-Borsani, G, Scarlata, C, Vulcani, B & Wang, X 2023, 'Early Results from GLASS-JWST. XI. Stellar Masses and Mass-to-light Ratio of z > 7 Galaxies', Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 942, no. 2, L27. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac9586

TY - JOUR

T1 - Early Results from GLASS-JWST. XI. Stellar Masses and Mass-to-light Ratio of z > 7 Galaxies

AU - Santini, P.

AU - Fontana, A.

AU - Castellano, M.

AU - Leethochawalit, N.

AU - Trenti, M.

AU - Treu, T.

AU - Belfiori, D.

AU - Birrer, S.

AU - Bonchi, A.

AU - Merlin, E.

AU - Mason, C.

AU - Morishita, T.

AU - Nonino, M.

AU - Paris, D.

AU - Polenta, G.

AU - Rosati, P.

AU - Yang, L.

AU - Boyett, K.

AU - Bradac, M.

AU - Calabrò, A.

AU - Dressler, A.

AU - Glazebrook, K.

AU - Marchesini, D.

AU - Mascia, S.

AU - Nanayakkara, T.

AU - Pentericci, L.

AU - Roberts-Borsani, G.

AU - Scarlata, C.

AU - Vulcani, B.

AU - Wang, Xin

PY - 2023/1/1

Y1 - 2023/1/1

N2 - We exploit James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) NIRCam observations from the GLASS-JWST-Early Release Science program to investigate galaxy stellar masses at z > 7. We first show that JWST observations reduce the uncertainties on the stellar mass by a factor of at least 5-10, when compared with the highest-quality data sets available to date. We then study the UV mass-to-light ratio, finding that galaxies exhibit a a two orders of magnitude range of M/L UV values for a given luminosity, indicative of a broad variety of physical conditions and star formation histories. As a consequence, previous estimates of the cosmic stellar-mass density—based on an average correlation between UV luminosity and stellar mass—can be biased by as much as a factor of ∼6. Our first exploration demonstrates that JWST represents a new era in our understanding of stellar masses at z > 7 and, therefore, of the growth of galaxies prior to cosmic reionization.

AB - We exploit James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) NIRCam observations from the GLASS-JWST-Early Release Science program to investigate galaxy stellar masses at z > 7. We first show that JWST observations reduce the uncertainties on the stellar mass by a factor of at least 5-10, when compared with the highest-quality data sets available to date. We then study the UV mass-to-light ratio, finding that galaxies exhibit a a two orders of magnitude range of M/L UV values for a given luminosity, indicative of a broad variety of physical conditions and star formation histories. As a consequence, previous estimates of the cosmic stellar-mass density—based on an average correlation between UV luminosity and stellar mass—can be biased by as much as a factor of ∼6. Our first exploration demonstrates that JWST represents a new era in our understanding of stellar masses at z > 7 and, therefore, of the growth of galaxies prior to cosmic reionization.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85146381911

U2 - 10.3847/2041-8213/ac9586

DO - 10.3847/2041-8213/ac9586

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85146381911

SN - 2041-8205

VL - 942

JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters

IS - 2

M1 - L27

ER -

Early Results from GLASS-JWST. XI. Stellar Masses and Mass-to-light Ratio of z > 7 Galaxies

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