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Bound star clusters observed in a lensed galaxy 460 Myr after the Big Bang

Author

Listed:
  • Angela Adamo

    (Stockholm University and Oskar Klein Centre)

  • Larry D. Bradley

    (Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI))

  • Eros Vanzella

    (INAF)

  • Adélaïde Claeyssens

    (Stockholm University and Oskar Klein Centre)

  • Brian Welch

    (University of Maryland
    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

  • Jose M. Diego

    (CSIC-UC)

  • Guillaume Mahler

    (STAR Institute
    Durham University
    Durham University)

  • Masamune Oguri

    (Chiba University
    Chiba University)

  • Keren Sharon

    (University of Michigan)

  • Abdurro’uf

    (Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
    The Johns Hopkins University)

  • Tiger Yu-Yang Hsiao

    (Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
    The Johns Hopkins University)

  • Xinfeng Xu

    (Northwestern University
    Northwestern University)

  • Matteo Messa

    (INAF)

  • Augusto E. Lassen

    (Stockholm University and Oskar Klein Centre
    Universe Federal do Rio Grande do Sul)

  • Erik Zackrisson

    (Uppsala University
    Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study)

  • Gabriel Brammer

    (Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN)
    University of Copenhagen)

  • Dan Coe

    (Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
    The Johns Hopkins University
    STScI)

  • Vasily Kokorev

    (University of Groningen)

  • Massimo Ricotti

    (University of Maryland)

  • Adi Zitrin

    (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev)

  • Seiji Fujimoto

    (The University of Texas at Austin)

  • Akio K. Inoue

    (Waseda University
    Waseda University)

  • Tom Resseguier

    (The Johns Hopkins University)

  • Jane R. Rigby

    (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

  • Yolanda Jiménez-Teja

    ((CSIC)
    (MCTI))

  • Rogier A. Windhorst

    (Arizona State University)

  • Takuya Hashimoto

    (University of Tsukuba
    University of Tsukuba)

  • Yoichi Tamura

    (Nagoya University)

Abstract

The Cosmic Gems arc is among the brightest and highly magnified galaxies observed at redshift z ≈ 10.2 (ref. 1). However, it is an intrinsically ultraviolet faint galaxy, in the range of those now thought to drive the reionization of the Universe2–4. Hitherto the smallest features resolved in a galaxy at a comparable redshift are between a few hundreds and a few tens of parsecs (pc)5,6. Here we report JWST observations of the Cosmic Gems. The light of the galaxy is resolved into five star clusters located in a region smaller than 70 pc. They exhibit minimal dust attenuation and low metallicity, ages younger than 50 Myr and intrinsic masses of about 106M⊙. Their lensing-corrected sizes are approximately 1 pc, resulting in stellar surface densities near 105M⊙ pc−2, three orders of magnitude higher than typical young star clusters in the local Universe7. Despite the uncertainties inherent to the lensing model, they are consistent with being gravitationally bound stellar systems, that is, proto-globular clusters. We conclude that star cluster formation and feedback likely contributed to shaping the properties of galaxies during the epoch of reionization.

Suggested Citation

  • Angela Adamo & Larry D. Bradley & Eros Vanzella & Adélaïde Claeyssens & Brian Welch & Jose M. Diego & Guillaume Mahler & Masamune Oguri & Keren Sharon & Abdurro’uf & Tiger Yu-Yang Hsiao & Xinfeng Xu &, 2024. "Bound star clusters observed in a lensed galaxy 460 Myr after the Big Bang," Nature, Nature, vol. 632(8025), pages 513-516, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:632:y:2024:i:8025:d:10.1038_s41586-024-07703-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07703-7
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