Hunting for the First Explosions at the High-Redshift Frontier
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arXiv
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| Autori principali: | , , , , |
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| Natura: | Preprint |
| Pubblicazione: |
2026
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| _version_ | 1866914383800565760 |
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| author | Jeon, Junehyoung Bromm, Volker Venditti, Alessandra Finkelstein, Steven L. Hsiao, Tiger Yu-Yang |
| author_facet | Jeon, Junehyoung Bromm, Volker Venditti, Alessandra Finkelstein, Steven L. Hsiao, Tiger Yu-Yang |
| contents | The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has spectroscopically confirmed galaxies up to $z\sim14$, 300 Myr after the Big Bang, and several candidates have been discovered at $z\sim15-25$, with one candidate as high as $z\sim30$, only 100 Myr after the Big Bang. Such objects are unexpected, since theoretical studies have not predicted the existence of detectable galaxies at $z\sim30$. While any $z\sim30$ candidates may be contaminants at lower redshifts, we explore whether such extreme redshift sources could be consistent with hyper-energetic transient events linked to the formation of the first, metal-free, stars. Specifically, we consider pair-instability supernovae (PISNe), a predicted class of extreme thermonuclear explosions that leave no remnant behind. Using cosmological simulations, we investigate an overdense cosmic region, where star formation and subsequent PISNe occur at $z\sim30-40$, even within standard cosmology. Assessing the likelihood of such a region, the corresponding number of PISNe at $z\gtrsim20$, and their observed flux, we find that JWST has a non-negligible chance to detect a PISN event at extremely high redshifts. If a transient event were confirmed at $z\sim30$, this would provide a direct glimpse into the epoch of first star formation, dramatically extending the empirical reach of astronomy. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2601_02469 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Hunting for the First Explosions at the High-Redshift Frontier Jeon, Junehyoung Bromm, Volker Venditti, Alessandra Finkelstein, Steven L. Hsiao, Tiger Yu-Yang Astrophysics of Galaxies High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has spectroscopically confirmed galaxies up to $z\sim14$, 300 Myr after the Big Bang, and several candidates have been discovered at $z\sim15-25$, with one candidate as high as $z\sim30$, only 100 Myr after the Big Bang. Such objects are unexpected, since theoretical studies have not predicted the existence of detectable galaxies at $z\sim30$. While any $z\sim30$ candidates may be contaminants at lower redshifts, we explore whether such extreme redshift sources could be consistent with hyper-energetic transient events linked to the formation of the first, metal-free, stars. Specifically, we consider pair-instability supernovae (PISNe), a predicted class of extreme thermonuclear explosions that leave no remnant behind. Using cosmological simulations, we investigate an overdense cosmic region, where star formation and subsequent PISNe occur at $z\sim30-40$, even within standard cosmology. Assessing the likelihood of such a region, the corresponding number of PISNe at $z\gtrsim20$, and their observed flux, we find that JWST has a non-negligible chance to detect a PISN event at extremely high redshifts. If a transient event were confirmed at $z\sim30$, this would provide a direct glimpse into the epoch of first star formation, dramatically extending the empirical reach of astronomy. |
| title | Hunting for the First Explosions at the High-Redshift Frontier |
| topic | Astrophysics of Galaxies High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.02469 |