Morphological Demographics of Galaxies at $z\sim 10-16$: Log-Normal Size Distribution and Exponential Profiles Consistent with the Disk Formation Scenario

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Ono, Yoshiaki, Ouchi, Masami, Harikane, Yuichi, Yajima, Hidenobu, Nakajima, Kimihiko, Fujimoto, Seiji, Nakane, Minami, Xu, Yi
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Ono, Yoshiaki
Ouchi, Masami
Harikane, Yuichi
Yajima, Hidenobu
Nakajima, Kimihiko
Fujimoto, Seiji
Nakane, Minami
Xu, Yi
author_facet Ono, Yoshiaki
Ouchi, Masami
Harikane, Yuichi
Yajima, Hidenobu
Nakajima, Kimihiko
Fujimoto, Seiji
Nakane, Minami
Xu, Yi
contents We homogeneously investigate the morphological properties of $169$ galaxies at $z\sim10-16$ with deep JWST NIRCam images employing our established techniques of GALFIT modeling and uncertainty evaluation (systematics+statistics). We obtain effective radii $r_{\rm e}$ ranging $20-500$ pc, with a distribution significantly broader than the scatter made by the uncertainties. We find that the $r_{\rm e}$ distribution is well described by a log-normal distribution with a mean of $r_{\rm e}=133^{+13}_{-12}$ pc and a standard deviation of $σ_{{\rm ln}r_{\rm e}} = 0.52 \pm 0.08$. The standard deviation is comparable to that of local galaxies, indicating no significant evolution over $z\sim 0-10$. We also find that the axis ratio distribution is nearly uniform, statistically similar to that of local spirals. We estimate the virial radius $r_{\rm vir}$ from the stellar masses via the star-formation main sequence and stellar-to-halo mass relation, obtaining a stellar-to-halo size ratio $r_{\rm e}/r_{\rm vir} = 0.015^{+0.015}_{-0.005}$, which is comparable to those of star-forming galaxies in the local and low-$z$ Universe. Our results of 1) the log-normal $r_{\rm e}$ distribution, 2) the uniform axis ratio distribution, and 3) a mean radial profile consistent with an exponential profile ($n=1.3\pm0.6$) suggest that galaxies at $z\sim10-16$ generally follow the classical galaxy disk formation scenario with a specific disk angular momentum fraction of $j_{\rm d} / m_{\rm d} \sim 0.5-1$. Interestingly, we identify two remarkable outliers GN-z11 ($z_{\rm spec}=10.60$) and GHZ2 ($z_{\rm spec}=12.34$) with $r_{\rm e}=55^{+5}_{-6}$ pc and $39\pm11$ pc, respectively, that may not be explained by disk structures but by AGN or compact star-forming galaxies merging underway in short periods of time, as reproduced in numerical simulations.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2502_08885
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Morphological Demographics of Galaxies at $z\sim 10-16$: Log-Normal Size Distribution and Exponential Profiles Consistent with the Disk Formation Scenario
Ono, Yoshiaki
Ouchi, Masami
Harikane, Yuichi
Yajima, Hidenobu
Nakajima, Kimihiko
Fujimoto, Seiji
Nakane, Minami
Xu, Yi
Astrophysics of Galaxies
We homogeneously investigate the morphological properties of $169$ galaxies at $z\sim10-16$ with deep JWST NIRCam images employing our established techniques of GALFIT modeling and uncertainty evaluation (systematics+statistics). We obtain effective radii $r_{\rm e}$ ranging $20-500$ pc, with a distribution significantly broader than the scatter made by the uncertainties. We find that the $r_{\rm e}$ distribution is well described by a log-normal distribution with a mean of $r_{\rm e}=133^{+13}_{-12}$ pc and a standard deviation of $σ_{{\rm ln}r_{\rm e}} = 0.52 \pm 0.08$. The standard deviation is comparable to that of local galaxies, indicating no significant evolution over $z\sim 0-10$. We also find that the axis ratio distribution is nearly uniform, statistically similar to that of local spirals. We estimate the virial radius $r_{\rm vir}$ from the stellar masses via the star-formation main sequence and stellar-to-halo mass relation, obtaining a stellar-to-halo size ratio $r_{\rm e}/r_{\rm vir} = 0.015^{+0.015}_{-0.005}$, which is comparable to those of star-forming galaxies in the local and low-$z$ Universe. Our results of 1) the log-normal $r_{\rm e}$ distribution, 2) the uniform axis ratio distribution, and 3) a mean radial profile consistent with an exponential profile ($n=1.3\pm0.6$) suggest that galaxies at $z\sim10-16$ generally follow the classical galaxy disk formation scenario with a specific disk angular momentum fraction of $j_{\rm d} / m_{\rm d} \sim 0.5-1$. Interestingly, we identify two remarkable outliers GN-z11 ($z_{\rm spec}=10.60$) and GHZ2 ($z_{\rm spec}=12.34$) with $r_{\rm e}=55^{+5}_{-6}$ pc and $39\pm11$ pc, respectively, that may not be explained by disk structures but by AGN or compact star-forming galaxies merging underway in short periods of time, as reproduced in numerical simulations.
title Morphological Demographics of Galaxies at $z\sim 10-16$: Log-Normal Size Distribution and Exponential Profiles Consistent with the Disk Formation Scenario
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.08885