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Extreme N-emitters at high-redshift: signatures of supermassive stars and globular cluster or black hole formation in action?

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arxiv 2307.04234 v2 pith:3MJEVSCI submitted 2023-07-09 astro-ph.GA

classification astro-ph.GA
keywords n-emittersstarsceers-1019clustergn-z11observationssupermassiveabundances
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[Abridged] Using the JWST/NIRSpec observations from CEERS we found an extreme N-emitter, CEERS-1019 at z=8.6782 showing intense NIV and NIII emission. From the observed rest-UV and optical lines we conclude that it is compatible with photoionization from stars and we determine accurate abundances for C, N, O, and Ne, relative to H, finding a highly supersolar ratio log(N/O) = -0.18+/-0.11, and normal log(C/O) = -0.75+/-0.11 and log(Ne/O) = -0.63+/-0.07, for its low metallicity, 12+log(O/H)= 7.70+/-0.18. We also analyze other N-emitters from the literature. All show strongly enhanced N/O ratios and two of them normal C/O. Massive star ejecta from WR stars are needed to explain the galaxies with enhanced C/O (Lynx arc and Mrk 996). On the other hand, supermassive stars (>1000 Msun, SMS) in the ``conveyer-belt model'' put forward to explain globular clusters (GCs), predict a high N/O and small changes in C/O, compatible with CEERS-1019, the Sunburst cluster, SMACS2031, and GN-z11. Based on the chemical abundances, possible enrichment scenarios, compactness, and high ISM density, we suggest that CEERS-1019, SMACS2031, and the Sunburst cluster could contain proto-GCs. Finally, we propose that some N-emitters enriched by SMS could also have formed intermediate-mass black holes, and we suggest that this might be the case for GN-z11. Our observations and analysis reinforce the suggested link between some N-emitters and proto-GC formation, which is supported both by empirical evidence and quantitative models. Furthermore, the observations provide possible evidence for the presence of supermassive stars in the early Universe (z>8) and at z~2-3. Our analysis also suggests that the origin and nature of the N-emitters is diverse, including also objects like GN-z11 which possibly host an AGN.

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Cited by 6 Pith papers

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score. Full citation record

  1. SPURS: Massive Stars, Dense Gas, and Ly$\alpha$ Escape in GN-z11 at $z = 10.6$

    astro-ph.GA 2026-08 conditional novelty 7.0 of 10

    GN-z11's rest-UV spectrum shows young massive stars with very massive star winds, dense gas, and a broad red Ly alpha wing that may help Ly alpha escape the largely neutral early universe.

  2. Unveiling and Characterising Ubiquitous Nitrogen Enhancement in $6 \leq z \leq 10$ Galaxies with JWST Spectroscopy

    astro-ph.GA 2026-08 conditional novelty 7.0 of 10

    Stacked JWST/NIRSpec spectra of 135 z=6-10 galaxies show supersolar N/O that is highest after a star-formation lull, consistent with delayed AGB enrichment and pristine gas inflows.

  3. Why is GN-z11 Bright, Compact, and Nitrogen Enhanced? Insights from UV Absorption and Emission Diagnostics

    astro-ph.GA 2026-08 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

    The UV continuum of the early galaxy GN-z11 is dominated by massive stars, and its extreme nitrogen enhancement is likely localized to dense gas enriched by stellar winds.

  4. Bright Galaxies at Cosmic Dawn: A Cloud-Scale Star Formation Model Unifying Variable SFE, IMFs, and Stochasticity

    astro-ph.GA 2026-07 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

    A cloud-based semi-analytic model shows that a top-heavy stellar initial mass function and a cloud-property-dependent star-formation efficiency, rather than cloud mass or density, most strongly shape the UV luminosity...

  5. The JWST EXCELS survey: direct estimates of C, N, and O abundances in two relatively metal-rich galaxies at $\mathbf{z\simeq5}$

    astro-ph.GA 2024-12 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

    Direct temperature-based CNO abundance measurements in two z~5 galaxies show elevated N/O and low C/O, extending the high-redshift nitrogen-over-carbon enrichment trend to more metal-rich systems.

  6. Deep Spectroscopic Follow-Up of Maisie's Galaxy -- A Typical Galaxy in the Early Universe

    astro-ph.GA 2026-07 conditional novelty 5.0 of 10

    Deep JWST spectroscopy of Maisie's Galaxy at z=11.4 reveals moderate star formation, metallicity, and ionization consistent with a typical galaxy on the early star-formation main sequence rather than an extreme source.

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