Timing the earliest quenching events with a robust sample of massive quiescent galaxies at 2 < z < 5

Journal article

We present a sample of 151 massive (M∗ > 1010 M·) quiescent galaxies at 2 < z < 5, based on a sophisticated Bayesian spectral energy distribution fitting analysis of the CANDELS UDS and GOODS-South fields. Our sample includes a robust sub-sample of 61 objects for which we confidently exclude low-redshift and star-forming solutions. We identify 10 robust objects at z > 3, of which 2 are at z > 4. We report formation redshifts, demonstrating that the oldest objects formed at z > 6; however, individual ages from our photometric data have significant uncertainties, typically ∼0.5 Gyr. We demonstrate that the UVJ colours of the quiescent population evolve with redshift at z > 3, becoming bluer and more similar to post-starburst galaxies at lower redshift. Based upon this, we construct a model for the time evolution of quiescent galaxy UVJ colours, concluding that the oldest objects are consistent with forming the bulk of their stellar mass at z ∼6-7 and quenching at z ∼5. We report spectroscopic redshifts for two of our objects at z = 3.440 and 3.396, which exhibit extremely weak Ly α emission in ultra-deep VANDELS spectra. We calculate star formation rates based on these line fluxes, finding that these galaxies are consistent with our quiescent selection criteria, provided their Ly α escape fractions are >3 and >10 per cent, respectively. We finally report that our highest redshift robust object exhibits a continuum break at λ ∼7000 Å in a spectrum from VUDS, consistent with our photometric redshift of z-\mathrmphot=4.72+0.06--0.04. If confirmed as quiescent, this object would be the highest redshift known quiescent galaxy. To obtain stronger constraints on the times of the earliest quenching events, high-SNR spectroscopy must be extended to z a 3 quiescent objects.

Authors: Carnall, AC; Walker, S; McLure, RJ; Dunlop, JS; McLeod, DJ

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• Volume: 496
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 695-707
• Publication date: 2020-06-04
• Acceptance date: 2020-05-26
• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/staa1535
• EISSN: 1365-2966
• ISSN: 0035-8711
• Language: English
• Keywords: galaxies: star formation; galaxies: evolution; methods: statistical; FFR