Clumps in High-redshift Galaxies: Mass Scaling and Radial Trends from JADES

Journal article

Massive star-forming clumps are a prominent feature of high-redshift galaxies and are thought to trace gravitational fragmentation, feedback, and bulge growth in gas-rich disks. We present a statistical analysis of clumps in ∼3600 galaxies spanning 2 ≲ z ≲ 8 from deep JWST/NIRCam imaging in the JADES GOODS–South field. Clumps are identified as residual features after subtracting smooth Sérsic profiles, enabling a uniform, rest-frame optical census of subgalactic structure. We characterize their physical properties, size–mass relations, and spatial distributions to constrain models of subgalactic structure formation and evolution. We find that clumps in our sample are typically low-mass (10∼7−8M⊙), actively star-forming, and show diverse gas-phase metallicity, dust attenuation, and stellar population properties. Their sizes and average pairwise separations increase with cosmic time (toward lower redshift), consistent with inside-out disk growth. The clump mass function follows a power law with slope α=−1.50−0.17+0.19 , consistent with fragmentation in turbulent disks. We find a deficit of relatively young clumps near galaxy centers and a radial transition in the size–mass relation: outer clumps exhibit steeper, near-virial slopes ( Re∝M*∼0.3 ), while inner clumps follow flatter trends ( Re∝M*∼0.2 ), consistent with structural evolution via migration or disruption. These results provide new constraints on the formation, survival, and dynamical evolution of clumps, highlighting their role in shaping galaxy morphology during the peak of cosmic star formation.

Authors: Zhu, Y; Rieke, MJ; Ji, Z; Bunker, AJ; Carreira, C

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Astronomical Society
• Journal: The Astrophysical Journal
• Volume: 1000
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 303
• Article number: 303
• Publication date: 2026-03-31
• Acceptance date: 2026-03-10
• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ae50f1
• EISSN: 1538-4357
• ISSN: 0004637X, 0004-637X
• Language: English
• Keywords: High-redshift galaxies; Galaxy evolution; Galaxy classification systems