2024/01/23 by Brian Welch, Grace M. Olivier, Welch, Brian +41 · 3 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA) #FOS: Physical sciences #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2401.13046
openalex publication_date 2024/01/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Using integrated spectra for two gravitationally lensed galaxies from the JWST TEMPLATES Early Release Science program, we analyze faint auroral lines, which provide direct measurements of the gas-phase chemical abundance. For the brighter galaxy, SGAS1723+34 (z = 1.3293), we detect the [OIII]λ4363, [SIII]λ6312, and [OII]λλ7320,7330 auroral emission lines, and set an upper limit for the [NII]λ5755 line. For the second galaxy, SGAS1226+21 (z = 2.925), we do not detect any auroral lines, and report upper limits. With these measurements and upper limits, we constrain the electron temperatures in different ionization zones within both of these galaxies. For SGAS1723+34, where auroral lines are detected, we calculate direct oxygen and nitrogen abundances, finding an N/O ratio consistent with observations of nearby (z∼ 0) galaxies. These observations highlight the potent combination of JWST and gravitational lensing to measure faint emission lines in individual distant galaxies and to directly study the chemical abundance patterns in those galaxies.