Similarity between compact extremely red objects discovered with JWST in cosmic dawn and blue-excess dust-obscured galaxies known in cosmic noon

TL;DR

This study reveals a striking similarity in spectral energy distributions between high-redshift JWST-EROs and lower-redshift BluDOGs, suggesting an evolutionary link between dusty AGN populations across cosmic time.

Contribution

It is the first to compare JWST-EROs with BluDOGs, proposing a unified evolutionary scenario for dusty AGNs from cosmic noon to dawn.

Findings

JWST-EROs and BluDOGs have similar spectral energy distributions.

JWST-EROs are less massive and less active than BluDOGs.

JWST-EROs are more common at higher redshifts.

Abstract

Spatially compact objects with extremely red color in the rest-frame optical to near-infrared (0.4--1 ${\rm \mu m}$) and blue color in the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV; 0.2--0.4 ${\rm \mu m}$) have been discovered at $5 < z < 9$ using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). These extremely red objects (JWST-EROs) exhibit spectral energy distributions (SEDs) that are difficult to explain using a single component of either star-forming galaxies or quasars, leading to two-component models in which the blue UV and extremely red optical are explained using less-dusty and dusty spectra of galaxies or quasars, respectively. Here, we report the remarkable similarity in SEDs between JWST-EROs and blue-excess dust-obscured galaxies (BluDOGs) identified at $2 < z < 3$. BluDOGs are a population of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with blackhole masses of $\sim10^{8-9}$ M$_\odot$, which are one order of magnitude larger than those in some JWST-EROs. The Eddington ratios of BluDOGs are one or higher, whereas those of JWST-EROs are in the range of 0.1--1. Therefore, JWST-EROs are less massive, less active, and more common counterparts in higher-$z$ of BluDOGs in cosmic noon. Conversely, JWST-EROs have a significantly higher fraction of those with blue-excess than DOGs. We present the average UV spectra of BluDOGs as a comparison to JWST-EROs and discuss a coherent evolutionary scenario for dusty AGN populations.