Discovery of a Dusty, Chemically Mature Companion to a z$\sim$4 Starburst Galaxy in JWST ERS Data

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a dusty, chemically mature companion galaxy to a z~4 starburst galaxy, using JWST and ALMA data, revealing insights into early galaxy formation and metallicity.

Contribution

It presents the first identification of a chemically mature, dust-obscured companion galaxy at high redshift, combining JWST and ALMA observations for detailed analysis.

Findings

Companion galaxy is heavily dust obscured with high metallicity.

The system resides in a massive dark matter halo with potential neighbors.

The companion's star formation rate is at least 17 solar masses per year.

Abstract

We report the discovery of two companion sources to a strongly lensed galaxy SPT0418-47 ("ring") at redshift 4.225, targeted by the JWST Early Release Science program. We confirm that these sources are at a similar redshift as the ring based on H$\alpha$ detected in the NIRSpec spectrum, and [C II] 158 $\mu$m line from ALMA. Using multiple spectral lines detected in JWST/NIRSpec, the rest-frame optical to infrared images from NIRCam and MIRI, and far-infrared (FIR) dust continuum detected by ALMA, we argue that the newly discovered sources are actually lensed images of the same companion galaxy, hereafter referred to as SPT0418-SE ("SE"), located within 5 kpc in the source plane of the ring. The star formation rate derived using [C II] and dust continuum puts a lower limit of 17 M$_\odot$/yr, while the SFR$_\mathrm{H\alpha}$ is estimated to be >2 times lower, thereby confirming that SE is a heavily dust obscured star-forming galaxy. Analysis using optical strong line diagnostics suggests that SE has near solar elemental abundance, while the ring appears to have super-solar metallicity O/H and N/O. We attempt to reconcile the high metallicity in this system by invoking early onset of star formation with continuous high star forming efficiency, or that optical strong line diagnostics need revision at high redshift. We suggest that SPT0418-47 resides in a massive dark matter halo with yet to be discovered neighbors. This work highlights the importance of joint analysis of JWST and ALMA data for a deep and complete picture of the early Universe.