Anisotropic quenching is detected at the highest redshift yet and linked to preprocessing dominating over intrahalo effects by ~20% along the major axis in a delay-then-rapid quenching model informed by cluster accretion histories.
An extreme proto-cluster of luminous dusty starbursts in the early Universe
3 Pith papers cite this work. Polarity classification is still indexing.
abstract
We report the identification of an extreme proto-cluster of galaxies in the early Universe whose core (nicknamed Distant Red Core, DRC) is formed by at least ten dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs), confirmed to lie at $z_{\rm spec} = 4.002$ via detection of [CI](1-0), $^{12}$CO(6-5), $^{12}$CO(4-3), $^{12}$CO(2-1) and ${\rm H_2O} (2_{11} - 2_{02})$ emission lines, detected using ALMA and ATCA. The spectroscopically-confirmed components of the proto-cluster are distributed over a ${\rm 260\, kpc \times 310\, kpc}$ region and have a collective obscured star-formation rate (SFR) of $\sim 6500 \, M_\odot \, {\rm yr}^{-1}$, considerably higher than has been seen before in any proto-cluster of galaxies or over-densities of DSFGs at $z \gtrsim 4$. Most of the star formation is taking place in luminous DSFGs since no Ly$\alpha$ emitters are detected in the proto-cluster core, apart from a Ly$\alpha$ blob located next to one of the DRC dusty components and extending over $60\,{\rm kpc}$. The total obscured SFR of the proto-cluster could rise to ${\rm SFR} \sim 14,400 \, M_\odot \, {\rm yr}^{-1}$ if all the members of an over-density of bright DSFGs discovered around DRC in a wide-field LABOCA 870-$\mu$m image are part of the same structure. The total halo mass of DRC could be as high as $\sim 4.4 \times 10^{13}\,M_\odot$ and could be the progenitor of a Coma-like cluster at $z = 0$. The relatively short gas-depletion times of the DRC components suggest either the presence of a mechanism able to trigger extreme star formation simultaneously in galaxies spread over a few hundred kpc or the presence of gas flows from the cosmic web able to sustain star formation over several hundred million years.
fields
astro-ph.GA 3years
2026 3verdicts
UNVERDICTED 3representative citing papers
Simulations show observationally selected protocluster candidates at z ≳ 5 include significant interlopers, undergo 2-6 major mergers, and exhibit stronger clustering than observed, requiring total galaxy mass within 10 cMpc for reliable progenitor identification.
Proposes 80 hours of VESPER observations on ELT to obtain spatially resolved data on fueling, feedback, and quenching processes in the cores of five clusters at 1.5<z<1.7 and five protoclusters at 2<z<2.5.
citing papers explorer
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Anisotropic quenching beyond $z=1$ and its implications for preprocessing around high-redshift galaxy clusters
Anisotropic quenching is detected at the highest redshift yet and linked to preprocessing dominating over intrahalo effects by ~20% along the major axis in a delay-then-rapid quenching model informed by cluster accretion histories.
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On the later evolution of observationally selected protocluster candidates at $z\,{\gtrsim}\,5$
Simulations show observationally selected protocluster candidates at z ≳ 5 include significant interlopers, undergo 2-6 major mergers, and exhibit stronger clustering than observed, requiring total galaxy mass within 10 cMpc for reliable progenitor identification.
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Fueling and feedback mechanisms at the nodes of the cosmic web
Proposes 80 hours of VESPER observations on ELT to obtain spatially resolved data on fueling, feedback, and quenching processes in the cores of five clusters at 1.5<z<1.7 and five protoclusters at 2<z<2.5.