2024/08/15 by Ivana Barišić, Tucker Jones, Barišić, Ivana +39 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA) #FOS: Physical sciences #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2408.08350
openalex publication_date 2024/08/15 · openalex created_date 2024/09/13 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Integral field spectroscopy (IFS) is a powerful tool for understanding the formation of galaxies across cosmic history. We present the observing strategy and first results of MSA-3D, a novel JWST program using multi-object spectroscopy in a slit-stepping strategy to produce IFS data cubes. The program observed 43 normal star-forming galaxies at redshifts 0.5 \lesssim z \lesssim 1.5, corresponding to the epoch when spiral thin-disk galaxies of the modern Hubble sequence are thought to emerge, obtaining kpc-scale maps of rest-frame optical nebular emission lines with spectral resolution R≃2700. Here we describe the multiplexed slit-stepping method which is >15 times more efficient than the NIRSpec IFS mode for our program. As an example of the data quality, we present a case study of an individual galaxy at z=1.104 (stellar mass M* = 1010.3~M\odot, star formation rate~=3~M\odot yr-1) with prominent face-on spiral structure. We show that the galaxy exhibits a rotationally supported disk with moderate velocity dispersion (σ= 36+5-4~\kms), a negative radial metallicity gradient (-0.020±0.002~dex kpc-1), a dust attenuation gradient, and an exponential star formation rate density profile which closely matches the stellar continuum. These properties are characteristic of local spirals, indicating that mature galaxies are in place at z∼1. We also describe the customized data reduction and original cube-building software pipelines which we have developed to exploit the powerful slit-stepping technique. Our results demonstrate the ability of JWST slit-stepping to study galaxy populations at intermediate to high redshifts, with data quality similar to current surveys of the z∼0.1 universe.