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Cosmic Outliers: Low-Spin Halos Explain the Abundance, Compactness, and Redshift Evolution of the Little Red Dots
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abstract
The Little Red Dots (LRDs) are high-redshift galaxies uncovered by JWST, characterized by small effective radii ($R_{\rm eff} \sim 80-300$ pc), number densities that are intermediate between those of typical galaxies and quasars, and a redshift distribution peaked at $z \sim 5$. We present a theoretical model in which the LRDs descend from dark matter halos in the extreme low-spin tail of the angular momentum distribution. Within this framework, we explain their three key observational signatures: (i) abundance, (ii) compactness, and (iii) redshift distribution. Our model focuses on observed, not modeled, properties; it is thus independent of whether they are powered primarily by a black hole or stars. We find that the assumption that the prototypical LRD at $z\sim5$ originates from halos in the lowest $\sim 1\%$ of the spin distribution is sufficient to reproduce both their observed number densities and physical sizes. The redshift evolution of their observability is driven by the interplay between the evolving compact disk fraction and cosmological surface brightness dimming. This effect leads to a well-defined "LRDs Era" at $4<z<8$, during which the LRDs are common and detectable; at $z<4$, they are bright but rare, while at $z>8$, they are common but faint. Finally, we test the predicted redshift trend against observational data, finding excellent agreement. Additional observational support comes from their excess small-scale clustering and spectral signatures of extreme core densities, both of which are expected outcomes of galaxy formation in low-spin halos. These findings suggest that the LRDs are not a fundamentally distinct population but the natural manifestation of galaxies forming in the rarest, lowest angular momentum environments.
Forward citations
Cited by 4 Pith papers
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Little Red Dots as Hidden Neutrino Sources
Little Red Dots can contribute ~30% of the diffuse neutrino background at TeV-sub-PeV energies through photomeson production in black hole envelopes, with modified flavor ratios at higher energies.
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Reduced Incidence of Little Red Dots at z < 3 from Number Density and Halo Mass Evolution
LRDs transition from underdense low-halo-mass environments at z>4 to typical galaxy conditions by z~3.5, with halo growth leading to larger sizes and SED changes that explain their disappearance at lower redshifts.
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Reduced Incidence of Little Red Dots at z < 3 from Number Density and Halo Mass Evolution
Little red dots shift from underdense, low-halo-mass environments at z>4 to ordinary galaxy environments by z~3.5, explaining their declining abundance at z<3.
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The Way We Tally Becomes the Tale: the Impact of Selection Strategies on the Inferred Evolution of Little Red Dots Across Cosmic Time
Wider selection criteria for Little Red Dots in JWST fields reveal that classic extreme color cuts miss most of the population and bias demographic trends.
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