JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey Data Release 5: Photometrically Selected Galaxy Candidates at z > 8

Journal article

We present a sample of 2081 sources selected at a photometric redshift zphot > 8 across the JADES DR5 data release in GOODS-S and GOODS-N over a total area of 469 arcmin2. These sources range from MUV = −22 to MUV = −16, with 19 objects at zphot > 14. We estimate the UV slopes for the full sample from fits to the photometry and find evidence for a steepening of the relationship between the UV continuum slope and MUV to higher redshifts, a result that differs from prior analyses of brighter samples in the literature. We provide evidence that over one-quarter of our sources have evidence for being morphologically extended, with many galaxies showing multiple bright knots or clumps even out to z ∼ 13–14, an indication of how galaxies at cosmic dawn are growing and evolving. We discuss JADES-GN+189.15982+62.28899, a GOODS-N F200W dropout galaxy at zphot ∼ 15–18, which has been observed spectroscopically with JWST/NIRSpec in prism mode, resulting in a very low signal-to-noise spectrum that is consistent with the photometry and rules out a number of low-redshift solutions for the source. Finally, we use a subsample of 123 objects in our sample with spectroscopic redshifts to explore the usage of alternate fitting templates and a prescription for Lyα damping wing absorption, finding that both produce significant improvements to the estimated photometric redshifts.

Authors: Hainline, KN; Eisenstein, DJ; Whitler, L; Robertson, B; Johnson, BD

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Astronomical Society
• Journal: The Astrophysical Journal
• Volume: 1004
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 161
• Article number: 161
• Publication date: 2026-06-11
• Acceptance date: 2026-04-29
• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ae710a
• EISSN: 1538-4357
• ISSN: 0004637X, 0004-637X
• Language: English
• Keywords: Galaxy photometry; Galaxy structure; Galaxy formation; Galaxies; Galaxy evolution; Observational cosmology; High-redshift galaxies