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A galaxy at a redshift z = 6.96

Author

Listed:
  • Masanori Iye

    (National Astronomical Observatory
    University of Tokyo
    The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Mitaka)

  • Kazuaki Ota

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Nobunari Kashikawa

    (National Astronomical Observatory)

  • Hisanori Furusawa

    (Subaru Telescope)

  • Tetsuya Hashimoto

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Takashi Hattori

    (Subaru Telescope)

  • Yuichi Matsuda

    (Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University)

  • Tomoki Morokuma

    (The Institute of Astronomy, University of Tokyo)

  • Masami Ouchi

    (Space Telescope Science Institute)

  • Kazuhiro Shimasaku

    (University of Tokyo)

Abstract

The oldest known galaxy The galaxy described on page 186 may be, for the moment, the most distant and hence oldest galaxy known. Large samples of galaxies have been found at redshifts of z∼6, but detections at earlier times tend to be uncertain and unreliable. But this 'new' old galaxy has a spectroscopic redshift of z=6.96, corresponding to just 750 million years after the Big Bang; and a Lyman-α emission line in its spectrum suggests that active star formation was under way when the Universe was only about 6% of its present age. This galaxy was detected during a survey using the Subaru Suprime-Cam on the summit of Mauna Kea. Looking at the galaxy population as a whole, the same survey produced a number density of galaxies at z≈7 that is only 18-36% that at z=6.6. A separate search for galaxies at at z∼7–8 using data from the Hubble Space Telescope yielded (conservatively) only one candidate galaxy, where 10 would be expected if there were no evolution in the galaxy population between z∼7 and z∼6. The simplest explanation for this is that the Universe is just too young to have built up many luminous galaxies at z∼7–8 by hierarchical merging of small galaxies.

Suggested Citation

  • Masanori Iye & Kazuaki Ota & Nobunari Kashikawa & Hisanori Furusawa & Tetsuya Hashimoto & Takashi Hattori & Yuichi Matsuda & Tomoki Morokuma & Masami Ouchi & Kazuhiro Shimasaku, 2006. "A galaxy at a redshift z = 6.96," Nature, Nature, vol. 443(7108), pages 186-188, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:443:y:2006:i:7108:d:10.1038_nature05104
    DOI: 10.1038/nature05104
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