Exploring the Nature of Little Red Dots: Constraints on AGN and Stellar Contributions from PRIMER MIRI Imaging
JWST has revealed a large population of compact, red galaxies at $z>4$ known as Little Red Dots (LRDs). We analyze the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of 95 LRDs from the JWST PRIMER survey with complete photometric coverage from $1-18\ \mu$m using NIRCam and MIRI imaging, representing the m...
Gespeichert in:
Hauptverfasser: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Artikel |
Sprache: | eng |
Schlagworte: | |
Online-Zugang: | Volltext bestellen |
Tags: |
Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
|
Zusammenfassung: | JWST has revealed a large population of compact, red galaxies at $z>4$ known
as Little Red Dots (LRDs). We analyze the spectral energy distributions (SEDs)
of 95 LRDs from the JWST PRIMER survey with complete photometric coverage from
$1-18\ \mu$m using NIRCam and MIRI imaging, representing the most extensive SED
analysis on a large LRD sample with long-wavelength MIRI data. We examine SED
models in which either galaxy or active galactic nucleus (AGN) emission
dominates the rest-frame UV or optical continuum, extracting physical
properties to explore each scenario's implications. In the galaxy-only model,
we find massive, dusty stellar populations alongside unobscured, low-mass
components, hinting at inhomogeneous obscuration. The AGN-only model indicates
dusty, luminous AGNs with low hot dust fractions compared to typical quasars. A
hybrid AGN and galaxy model suggests low-mass, unobscured galaxies in the UV,
with stellar mass estimates spanning $\sim$2 dex across the different models,
underscoring the need for caution in interpreting LRD stellar masses. With MIRI
photometry, the galaxy-only model produces stellar masses within cosmological
limits, but extremely high stellar mass densities are inferred. The hybrid
model infers highly overmassive black holes exceeding those in recently
reported high-redshift AGNs, hinting at a partial AGN contribution to the
rest-optical continuum or widespread super-Eddington accretion. Our findings
highlight the extreme conditions required for both AGN or galaxy dominated
scenarios in LRDs, supporting a mixed contribution to the red continuum, or
novel scenarios to explain the observed emission. |
---|---|
DOI: | 10.48550/arxiv.2411.12005 |