The Evolution of Size and Merger Fraction of Submillimeter Galaxies across $1 < z \lesssim 6$ as Observed by JWST

TL;DR

This study uses JWST observations to analyze the size evolution and merger activity of submillimeter galaxies from redshift 1 to 6, revealing that mergers and interactions influence their formation differently across cosmic time.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the size growth and merger fraction evolution of SMGs over a broad redshift range using JWST data, highlighting the varying roles of mergers and interactions.

Findings

Significant size evolution in SMGs with redshift, following a power-law decline.

Major merger fraction increases up to z=3 then plateaus, while interaction fraction remains stable.

HST-based merger estimates may overstate true merger fractions at z~2.

Abstract

Precise tracking of the growth in galaxy size and the evolution of merger fractions with redshift is vital for understanding the formation history of submillimeter galaxies (SMGs). This study investigates these evolutions over a broad redshift range ($1 < z \lesssim 6$), using a sample of 222 SMGs with a median redshift of $z = 2.61^{+0.89}_{-0.82}$ identified by ALMA and JCMT, enhanced by the advanced imaging capabilities of the JWST/NIRCam and MIRI. We find significant evolution in effective radii ($R_e$) in rest-frame V-band ($R_e \propto (1 + z)^{-0.87 \pm 0.08}$) and near-infrared (NIR) band ($R_e \propto (1 + z)^{-0.88 \pm 0.11}$), with the NIR size evolution resembling that of massive star-forming galaxies at lower redshift. Visual inspections reveal a major merger fraction of $24.3 \pm 3.7\%$ and an interaction fraction of up to $48.4 \pm 11.1\%$. The major merger fraction exhibits an increase from 14.7$\pm9.1$\% at $z = 1$ to 26.6$\pm 8.4$\% at $z = 3$, after which it remains approximately constant across the redshift range $3 < z < 6$. In contrast, the interaction fraction remains relatively stable across the range $2 < z < 5$. Our results indicate that late-stage major mergers are not the primary formation mechanism for SMGs at $z<3$, while interactions appear to play a significant role across the broader redshift range of $1<z<6$. Additionally, HST-based major merger identifications may overestimate the true fraction by a factor of 1.7 at $z \sim 2$. These findings highlight the varying roles of mergers and interactions in driving the formation of massive, dusty star-forming galaxies across different redshifts.