Related papers: A massive quiescent galaxy at redshift 4.658
Cosmological models predict that galaxies forming in the early Universe experience a chaotic phase of gas accretion and star formation, followed by gas ejection due to feedback processes. Galaxy bulges may assemble later via mergers or…
Star formation in half of massive galaxies was quenched by the time the Universe was three billion years old. Very low amounts of molecular gas appear responsible for this, at least in some cases, though morphological gas stabilization,…
Measuring stellar velocity dispersions of quiescent galaxies beyond $z\sim2$ is observationally challenging. Such measurements require near-infrared spectra with a continuum detection of at least moderate signal-to-noise, often…
We analyze stellar age indicators (D$_n$4000 and EW(H$\delta$)) and sizes of 467 quiescent galaxies with $M_\ast \geq 10^{10} M_\odot$ at $z\sim0.7$ drawn from DR2 of the LEGA-C survey. Interpreting index variations in terms of equivalent…
We investigate the star formation histories (SFHs) of a sample of massive galaxies ($M_\star \geq 10^{10} \, M_\odot$) in the redshift range $1 < z < 4.5$. We analyze spectro-photometric data combining broadband photometry from HST and JWST…
How galaxies form, assemble, and cease their star-formation is a central question within the modern landscape of galaxy evolution studies. These processes are indelibly imprinted on the galaxy stellar mass function (SMF). We present…
Massive galaxies, such as nearby ellipticals, have relatively low number densities, yet they host the majority of the stellar mass in the universe. Understanding their origin is a central problem of galaxy formation. Age dating of stellar…
We present the first spectroscopic confirmation of an ultra-massive galaxy at redshift z>3 using data from Keck-NIRSPEC, VLT-Xshooter, and GTC-Osiris. We detect strong [OIII] and Ly$\alpha$ emission, and weak [OII], CIV, and HeII, placing…
We estimate the galaxy stellar mass function and stellar mass density for star-forming and quiescent galaxies with 0.2<z<4. We construct a deep K<24 sample of 220000 galaxies selected using the UltraVISTA DR1 data release. Our analysis is…
From several searches of the area common to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope Infrared Deep Sky Survey, we have selected 22 luminous galaxies between $z \sim$ 0.4 and $z \sim$ 0.9 that have colors and…
We study structural properties of spectroscopically confirmed massive quiescent galaxies at $z\approx 3$ with one of the first sizeable samples of such sources, made of ten $10.8<\log(M_{\star}/M_{\odot})<11.3$ galaxies at $2.4 < z < 3.2$…
We present a detailed analysis of a large sample of spectroscopically confirmed ultra-massive quiescent galaxies (${\rm{log}}(M_{\ast}/M_{\odot})\sim11.5$) at $z\gtrsim2$. This sample comprises 15 galaxies selected in the COSMOS and UDS…
Massive stars at cosmological distances can be individually detected during transient microlensing events, when gravitational lensing magnifications may exceed ~1000. Nine such sources were identified in JWST NIRCam imaging of a single…
We use deep \textit{Hubble Space Telescope} spectroscopy to constrain the metallicities and (\editone{light-weighted}) ages of massive ($\log M_\ast/M_\odot\gtrsim10$) galaxies selected to have quiescent stellar populations at $1.0<z<1.8$.…
Although extensively investigated, the role of the environment in galaxy formation is still not well understood. In this context, the Galaxy Stellar Mass Function (GSMF) is a powerful tool to understand how environment relates to galaxy…
The formation time scales of quiescent galaxies can be estimated in two different ways: by their star formation history and by their chemistry. Previously, the methods yielded conflicting results, especially when considering…
It is believed that massive galaxies have quenched their star formation because of active galactic nucleus feedback. However, recent studies have shown that some massive galaxies are still forming stars. We analyze the morphology of star…
Recent observations by the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed massive galaxies at very high redshift ($z\simeq 7-15$). The question of whether the existence of such galaxies is expected in the corresponding JWST surveys has received a…
Recent James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) data analyses have shown that massive red galaxies existed at redshifts $z>6$, a discovery that is difficult to understand in the context of standard cosmology ($\Lambda $CDM). Here we analyze these…
Stellar archeology shows that massive elliptical galaxies today formed rapidly about ten billion years ago with star formation rates above several hundreds solar masses per year (M_sun/yr). Their progenitors are likely the…