JADES – the small blue bump in GN-z11: insights into the nuclear region of a galaxy at z = 10.6

Journal article

We report the detection of continuum excess in the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) between 3000 and 3550 Å in the JWST/Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) spectrum of GN-z11, a luminous galaxy . The shape of the continuum excess resembles a Balmer continuum, but has a break around 3546 Å. The fitting result of this excess depends on the assumed origin of the continuum. If the continuum of GN-z11 is dominated by a stellar population with a small Balmer break, the apparent blueshift of the Balmer continuum is not significant and the best-fitting Balmer continuum model indicates a temperature of K. In contrast, if the continuum is dominated by active galactic nucleus emission, a nebular continuum model cannot fit the spectrum properly. The absence of the Balmer jump indicates an electron temperature of K, significantly higher than the temperature of K inferred from [O iii] and [O iii]. The temperature difference can result from mixing of different ionized regions: the Balmer emission mainly arises from dense and hot clouds in the broad-line region, whereas the forbidden lines originate from less dense and colder gas. An alternative explanation for the observed continuum excess is the Fe ii emission, which shows a characteristic jump blueward of the Balmer limit as previously seen in the spectra of many lower redshift quasars. Through comparisons with cloudy models, we show an Fe abundance above solar is likely needed, which could be achieved via enrichment from Type-Ia supernovae, hypernovae, or pair-instability supernovae.

Authors: Ji, X; Maiolino, R; Ferland, G; D’Eugenio, F; Bhatawdekar, R

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• Volume: 541
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 2134-2161
• Publication date: 2025-07-03
• Acceptance date: 2025-06-30
• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/staf1083
• EISSN: 1365-2966
• ISSN: 0035-8711
• Language: English
• Keywords: galaxies: high-redshift; galaxies: abundances; galaxies: active; galaxies: evolution