Showing 1–50 of 125 results for author: Boyer, M L

JWST Whirlpool Galaxy Treasury: Mid-Infrared Emission in M51 and its Relation to Gas Column and Star Formation

Authors: Mansi Padave, Karin M. Sandstrom, Daniel A. Dale, Adam K. Leroy, Eric W. Koch, Tony D. Weinbeck, Angela Adamo, Jessica Sutter, Lindsey Hands, Torsten Böker, Martha L. Boyer, Ryan Chown, Bruce T. Draine, Ilse de Looze, Brandt A. L. Gaches, Simon C. O. Glover, Dario Colombo, Robert C. Kennicutt Jr., Hannah Koziol, Ralf S. Klessen, Sean T. Linden, Desika Narayanan, Alex Pedrini, Julia Roman-Duval, Eva Schinnerer , et al. (3 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Using JWST/MIRI imaging of M51 in eight broadband filters, we investigate correlations of mid-infrared emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and dust continuum with molecular, atomic, and ionized gas traced by CO(1-0), HI, and Pa-alpha, respectively. In molecular gas-dominated regions, PAH-dominated filters (F560W, F770W, F1130W, F1280W) exhibit near-linear correlations with CO(1-0… ▽ More Using JWST/MIRI imaging of M51 in eight broadband filters, we investigate correlations of mid-infrared emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and dust continuum with molecular, atomic, and ionized gas traced by CO(1-0), HI, and Pa-alpha, respectively. In molecular gas-dominated regions, PAH-dominated filters (F560W, F770W, F1130W, F1280W) exhibit near-linear correlations with CO(1-0) at 40 pc scale, indicating that PAHs are well-mixed with gas and experience relatively constant radiation field intensities. The F1500W, F1800W, and F2100W dust continuum-dominated filters show shallower slopes with CO(1-0), reflecting contributions from star-forming regions with high radiation field intensities. This is reinforced by the near-linear scaling between F2100W and Pa-alpha. PAH-dominated bands do not show this linear trend with Pa-alpha, likely due to their destruction in ionized regions. F1000W behaves similarly to PAH bands in its correlations with CO(1-0) and Pa-alpha. Modeling mid-infrared emission with an empirical decomposition into gas- and star-formation-associated components shows that PAH-dominated filters receive comparable contributions from both, while the relative contribution associated with the Pa-alpha template increases toward longer wavelengths, reaching $\sim$75% in F2100W. These results demonstrate that mid-infrared simultaneously traces the gas column and star formation, but with a systematic wavelength-dependent shift in what drives the correlations: PAHs being more gas-tracing and dust-continuum reflecting star formation. Lastly, considering both HI and H$_2$ at 440 pc resolution, we find a tight, linear relation between $Σ_{HI+H_2}$ and PAH-dominated filters. Although most of our coverage is in H$_2$-dominated regions, we note similar observations with HI, suggesting that PAHs are also well-mixed with atomic gas. △ Less

Submitted 17 August, 2026; originally announced August 2026.

Comments: (Accepted for publication in ApJ)

CO rotational line emission in very red carbon stars in the Magellanic Clouds

Authors: M. A. T. Groenewegen, A. Nanni, M. L. Boyer, L. Decin, S. R. Goldman, K. Justtanont, F. Kerschbaum, I. McDonald, H. Olofsson, R. Sahai, G. C. Sloan, J. Th. van Loon, W. H. T. Vlemmings, A. A. Zijlstra

Abstract: Stars of low and intermediate initial mass lose most of their stellar mass at the end of their lives during the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase. Determining their gas and dust mass-loss rates (MLRs) is crucial for quantifying the contribution of evolved stars to the life cycle of dust and gas in the Universe. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array was used to observe 38 carbon stars… ▽ More Stars of low and intermediate initial mass lose most of their stellar mass at the end of their lives during the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phase. Determining their gas and dust mass-loss rates (MLRs) is crucial for quantifying the contribution of evolved stars to the life cycle of dust and gas in the Universe. The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array was used to observe 38 carbon stars (C stars) in the large Magellanic cloud (LMC) and three C stars in the small Magellanic cloud (SMC) in the CO J= 2-1 line. Line profiles were fitted to derive stellar velocities and wind-expansion velocities (Vexp). CO emission is detected in two C stars in the SMC and 33 C stars in the LMC. This is the first detection of carbon monoxide around an AGB star in the SMC. One object in the LMC shows emission in $^{13}$CO. The wind-expansion velocity ranges from \sim7.5 to \sim30 km/s. Archival data were used to determine the pulsation periods as well as construct and model the spectral energy distributions using two dust radiative transfer codes. Mass-loss rates were independently derived from these two codes as well as from the intensity of the CO line, using a simple formula. On average, the dust-based MLRs higher than the MLRs based on the CO line by a factor of 1.6. Additional CO data in other transitions, combined with proper modelling, is required to further investigate this possible discrepancy. Mass-loss rates, pulsation periods, and expansion velocities were compared to a sample of Galactic C stars. There is a strong bias, as the Magellanic Cloud targets sample the highest MLRs and luminosities, yet they represent only a minority of stars in a Galactic sample. Comparing this sample with a similarly extreme set of Galactic stars with periods longer than 500 days, we identify no correlation between metallicity and either the MLR or Vexp. △ Less

Submitted 20 August, 2026; v1 submitted 17 August, 2026; originally announced August 2026.

Comments: A&A in press

The James Webb Space Telescope Absolute Flux Calibration. VI. Near-Infrared Camera Imaging and Coronagraphy

Authors: Martha L. Boyer, Benjamin Sunnquist, Bryan Hilbert, Dan Coe, Varun Bajaj, Paul Bennet, Julien Girard

Abstract: We present an updated flux calibration for all imaging modes of the Near-Infrared Camera on JWST that converts instrumental units to physical surface brightness units of MJy sr^-1. This calibration includes observations of 19 flux standard stars spanning 3.5 years, with a mix of A dwarfs, solar analogs, and hot stars. All 5 coronagraphic setups, all 29 filters, and both weak lenses are calibrated.… ▽ More We present an updated flux calibration for all imaging modes of the Near-Infrared Camera on JWST that converts instrumental units to physical surface brightness units of MJy sr^-1. This calibration includes observations of 19 flux standard stars spanning 3.5 years, with a mix of A dwarfs, solar analogs, and hot stars. All 5 coronagraphic setups, all 29 filters, and both weak lenses are calibrated. This is the first on-sky calibration for the weak lenses used in Time Series observations and for secondary coronagraphic configurations (long wavelength masks paired with short wavelength filters, and vice versa). We also assess count-rate differences between subarrays and the full frame, finding differences of up to ~1%. These differences are incorporated into the calibration factors. We find that the scatter in the calibration factor is typically <2%, with about half of the filter+detector[+mask] combinations reaching <1% scatter. There are no trends with detector effects such as the count rate and well depth. Images in a handful of filters of the Large Magellanic Cloud and globular cluster 47 Tuc show that residual detector-to-detector offsets are typically small (<1%), but can be as high as 4-5%. The NIRCam detectors are found to be quite stable, with possible count-rate decreases of <0.4% per year, which is within the calibration uncertainties. These new calibration factors were incorporated into the JWST pipeline in 2026 March. △ Less

Submitted 9 August, 2026; originally announced August 2026.

Comments: Accepted for publication in AJ

Breaking the brightness barrier: JWST/NIRCam DHS spectroscopy for high-precision time-series observations

Authors: Achrene Dyrek, John Stansberry, Louis E. Bergeron, Everett Schlawin, Nestor Espinoza, Brian Brooks, Mario Gennaro, Martha L. Boyer, Russell Ryan, Bryan Hilbert, Munazza K. Alam, Aarynn L. Carter, Norbert Pirzkal, Julien H. Girard, Anton M. Koekemoer

Abstract: Many of the most scientifically compelling exoplanets orbit bright nearby stars that exceed the brightness limits of existing JWST spectroscopic observing modes. To address this limitation, a new NIRCam Short Wavelength Grism Time-Series mode has been developed by combining the Dispersed Hartmann Sensor (DHS) with a new on-board multistripe detector readout capability. The DHS disperses the incomi… ▽ More Many of the most scientifically compelling exoplanets orbit bright nearby stars that exceed the brightness limits of existing JWST spectroscopic observing modes. To address this limitation, a new NIRCam Short Wavelength Grism Time-Series mode has been developed by combining the Dispersed Hartmann Sensor (DHS) with a new on-board multistripe detector readout capability. The DHS disperses the incoming light through multiple pupil sub-apertures, reducing the incident flux and providing slitless spectroscopy between approximately 1.0 and 2.3 um. The multistripe readout mode further increases the accessible brightness range (K ~ 2.5 - 5.7 mag, depending on the spectral type of the object), with the previous limit being K ~ 5.7 mag at 1.5 um, by reading only the detector regions containing the DHS spectra, reducing the detector frame time with the standard RAPID readout mode from 10.74 s to 1.36 s over even less when using smaller substripe sizes. Together with the simultaneous long-wavelength grism observations, the new mode provides spectroscopic continuous coverage from approximately 1.0 to 5.0 um for targets as bright as K ~ 2.5 mag. We present the first results of on-orbit commissioning of this new observing mode with the final stage consisting of observations of a full transit of the exoplanet WASP-18b, which allowed us to demonstrate the feasibility of using NIRCam DHS for high-precision time-series observations. The commissioning presented in this paper marks the first deployment of the multistripe detector readout on JWST. Beyond NIRCam DHS, this new capability will be extended to other spectroscopic modes, including NIRISS SOSS and NIRSpec PRISM. Bright nearby stars host many of the highest-priority targets for exoplanet atmospheric characterization, making multistripe an important new capability for maximizing the scientific return of JWST. △ Less

Submitted 4 August, 2026; originally announced August 2026.

JWST NIRCam and MIRI Reveal the Dust-Producing AGB Population of NGC 6822

Authors: Conor Nally, Olivia C. Jones, Laura Lenkić, Annette M. N. Ferguson, Nolan Habel, Alec S. Hirschauer, Margaret Meixner, P. J. Kavanagh, Martha L. Boyer, Omnarayani Nayak, B. Sargent, P. Scicluna

Abstract: We present a photometric catalogue of the Local Group dwarf galaxy NGC 6822 based on deep JWST observations obtained with the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). Point-spread-function photometry and band matching were performed with StarbugII. The resulting catalogue contains 864,114 NIRCam point sources and 17,235 MIRI detections, with 10,079 detected in both instrum… ▽ More We present a photometric catalogue of the Local Group dwarf galaxy NGC 6822 based on deep JWST observations obtained with the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). Point-spread-function photometry and band matching were performed with StarbugII. The resulting catalogue contains 864,114 NIRCam point sources and 17,235 MIRI detections, with 10,079 detected in both instruments. Blackbody fitting yields effective temperatures and bolometric luminosities for 119,621 stars, providing a detailed view of the resolved stellar content. Candidate evolved stars were selected from NIRCam-MIRI colour-magnitude diagrams, with the sample refined by removing resolved contaminants and excluding young stellar objects through spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting. The final sample of 1226 evolved stars was analysed using the Grid of Red Supergiant and Asymptotic Giant Branch Models (GRAMS), from which dust-production rates were obtained and carbon-rich or oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch (AGB) classifications assigned via a likelihood-weighted comparison across the full model set. Across the JWST fields, evolved stars return 5.6 x 10^-7 Msun yr^-1 of dust to the interstellar medium, with oxygen-rich AGB stars contributing 60% and carbon-rich AGB stars 35%, despite the low metallicity of NGC 6822. The unexpectedly high oxygen-rich contribution indicates the presence of intermediate-mass AGB stars undergoing hot-bottom burning, in line with the recent star-formation history of NGC 6822. Dust-producing AGB stars exhibit a centrally concentrated carbon-rich population and a more extended oxygen-rich population. We also identify JWST colour relations that provide robust photometric estimators of dust-production rates for evolved stars. △ Less

Submitted 13 July, 2026; originally announced July 2026.

Comments: 19 pages, 14 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. The accompanying catalogue contains photometry for 864,114 NIRCam sources and 17,235 MIRI sources, including derived effective temperatures and bolometric luminosities for 119,621 stars and dust-production rates for 1226 evolved stars. The catalogue will be available through VizieR upon publication

Dust in the very metal-poor galaxy Sextans A with JWST. I: Characterizing the evolved stellar population of Sextans A based on JWST observations and stellar evolution models

Authors: C. Gavetti, F. Dell'Agli, E. Tarantino, M. L. Boyer, I. McDonald, J. Th. Van Loon, D. A. Garcia-Hernandez, M. A. T. Groenewegen, A. Nanni, J. A. D. L. Blommaert, R. D. Gehrz, L. M. Gerlach, S. Goldman, M. Marengo, K. B. W. McQuinn, J. M. Oliveira, J. Roman-Duval, R. Sahai, E. D. Skillman, B. F. Williams, A. Javadi, O. C. Jones, F. Kemper, F. La Franca, G. C Sloan

Abstract: The nearby star-forming dwarf galaxy Sextans A offers a unique window into galaxy evolution in the early Universe, owing to its extremely low metallicity (about 1-7% Zsun). Recent JWST imaging of Sextans A spanning 1-21 micron enables a detailed characterization of its dusty stellar populations and interstellar medium. In this work, we compare the observed JWST color-magnitude distributions of evo… ▽ More The nearby star-forming dwarf galaxy Sextans A offers a unique window into galaxy evolution in the early Universe, owing to its extremely low metallicity (about 1-7% Zsun). Recent JWST imaging of Sextans A spanning 1-21 micron enables a detailed characterization of its dusty stellar populations and interstellar medium. In this work, we compare the observed JWST color-magnitude distributions of evolved stars with stellar evolution and dust-formation models to characterize the properties of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) population, including progenitor mass, formation epoch, metallicity, and dust production. Evolutionary tracks for 0.8-7 Msun stars with metallicity Z=10^-3 provide good agreement with the overall distribution of AGB stars in Sextans A. More than 90% of the AGB population occupies a nearly vertical sequence in the color-magnitude diagrams, corresponding to stars spanning a wide range of masses and ages but exhibiting little or no circumstellar dust. This sequence appears to be dominated by oxygen-rich (M-type) AGB stars and reveals that the F444W flux is a robust luminosity diagnostic. A small subset of sources displays strong infrared excesses and is dominated by carbon stars descending from 1.25-1.5 Msun progenitors that formed about 2-3 Gyr ago and are currently in the final AGB phases. Their MIRI colors imply very low metallicities, consistent with estimates from the red giant branch morphology (about 1-2% Zsun). Finally, we show that the JWST/NIRCam F277W-F444W color serves as an effective proxy for the dust production rate, with models predicting rates up to 10^-7 Msun/yr for the reddest sources in Sextans A. △ Less

Submitted 5 June, 2026; originally announced June 2026.

Comments: 18 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

Probing the IMF in the Early Universe -- Direct measurements in the Boötes I UFD with JWST/NIRCam

Authors: Keyi Ding, Mario Gennaro, Roberto J. Avila, Massimo Ricotti, Rachael L. Beaton, Martha L. Boyer, Thomas M. Brown, Annalisa Calamida, Santi Cassisi, Vedant Chandra, Roger E. Cohen, Matteo Correnti, Denija Crnojević, Kareem El-Badry, Marla Geha, Puragra Guhathakurta, Nitya Kallivayalil, Evan N. Kirby, Kristen. B. W. McQuinn, Alessandro Savino, Cheyanne Shariat, Joshua D. Simon, Daniel R. Weisz

Abstract: The dependence of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) on star-formation environment, particularly at low metallicities and high redshifts, remains poorly constrained. Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs) are local fossils of high-redshift galaxies hosting old, metal-poor populations, and their resolved stellar populations provide unique pathways to constrain the sub-solar IMF. We investigate the… ▽ More The dependence of the stellar initial mass function (IMF) on star-formation environment, particularly at low metallicities and high redshifts, remains poorly constrained. Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies (UFDs) are local fossils of high-redshift galaxies hosting old, metal-poor populations, and their resolved stellar populations provide unique pathways to constrain the sub-solar IMF. We investigate the low-mass IMF in the Boötes I (Boo I) UFD with JWST/NIRCam, leveraging its capability to resolve over 10,000 stars reaching $\lesssim0.15 M_{\odot}$, obtaining one of the largest, deepest resolved stellar samples for UFDs. We explore three different functional forms of the IMF with machine learning and statistical techniques, combining forward modeling of synthetic color-magnitude diagrams with simulation-based inference. We find that a single power-law IMF fails to reproduce the observed luminosity function and also deviates from the canonical Salpeter IMF. Our best-fit broken power-law and lognormal IMF parameters are consistent with the Milky Way within 68% confidence level, providing evidence that star formation at metallicities as low as [Fe/H]$\approx-2.4$ follows a similar IMF as in the Milky Way. By treating Boo I as a local relic analogous to a high-redshift galaxy with a stellar mass of $\lesssim10^5 M_{\odot}$ at $z\gtrsim6$, our results provide evidence for the universality of the IMF across both local and high-redshift environments. △ Less

Submitted 14 May, 2026; originally announced May 2026.

Comments: 26 pages, 15 figures, submitted to ApJ

JWST Observations of Starbursts: Dust Processing in the M82 Superwind

Authors: Serena A. Cronin, Alberto D. Bolatto, Helena M. Richie, Grant P. Donnelly, Rebecca C. Levy, Karl D. Gordon, Elizabeth Tarantino, Martha L. Boyer, Lee Armus, Patricia A. Arens, Leindert A. Boogaard, Daniel A. Dale, Keaton Donaghue, Bruce T. Draine, Sara E. Duval, Kimberly Emig, Deanne B. Fisher, Simon C. O. Glover, Brandon S. Hensley, Rodrigo Herrera-Camus, Ralf S. Klessen, Thomas S. -Y. Lai, Laura Lenkić, Adam K. Leroy, Ashley E. Lieber , et al. (17 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present JWST MIRI and NIRCam imaging of the inner ~5 kpc of the M82 superwind at 0.05-0.375'' (~0.9-6.5 pc) resolution. Targeted filters probe emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; F335M, F360M, F770W, F1130W) and continuum (F250M, F360M). The images reveal a network of cool wind filaments traced by PAHs. PAH surface brightness declines with the inverse square of distance to the… ▽ More We present JWST MIRI and NIRCam imaging of the inner ~5 kpc of the M82 superwind at 0.05-0.375'' (~0.9-6.5 pc) resolution. Targeted filters probe emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs; F335M, F360M, F770W, F1130W) and continuum (F250M, F360M). The images reveal a network of cool wind filaments traced by PAHs. PAH surface brightness declines with the inverse square of distance to the midplane, suggesting that the incident radiation field from the starburst drives the observed PAH intensity out to 2.5 kpc. The 3.3/11.3 and 3.3/7.7 band ratios show uniformity with distance from the starburst, though comparisons with mid-IR dust emission models indicate a modest shift toward larger PAHs. Outside the disk, 11.3/7.7 increases moderately, reflecting that PAHs become more neutral with distance from the starburst as they are exposed to a declining radiation field and ionization parameter. Overall, PAHs in the wind are consistent with standard-to-large sizes and standard-to-high ionization states. Including Spitzer and Herschel data, PAH abundance (qPAH) is set at ~1% in the starburst and remains unchanging out to 5 kpc off the disk. This flat qPAH profile suggests that PAHs are shielded from the hot wind, perhaps residing in the surface layers of cool clouds, with possible replenishment from cloud interiors and enrichment of the halo from previous bursts. In this picture, clouds are not dense enough to promote PAH growth, and they likely undergo radiative cooling and mixing with the hot phase to survive the gauntlet for at least ~20 Myr. △ Less

Submitted 8 May, 2026; v1 submitted 13 April, 2026; originally announced April 2026.

Comments: 23 pages, 12 figures, published in ApJ

Journal ref: ApJ 1002 217 (2026)

The JWST Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science Program. IX. The RR Lyrae Population in WLM with HST and JWST

Authors: Catherine M. Slaughter, Evan D. Skillman, Alessandro Savino, Daniel R. Weisz, Meredith Durbin, Jay Anderson, Martha L. Boyer, Roger E. Cohen, Andrew A. Cole, Matteo Correnti, Andrew E. Dolphin, Marla C. Geha, Mario Gennaro, Nitya Kallivayalil, Evan N. Kirby, Kristen B. W. McQuinn, Max J. B. Newman, Jack T. Warfield, Benjamin F. Williams

Abstract: RR Lyrae stars are a common, dependable Population II distance indicator, and provide an independent tracer of early star formation. Here, we utilize archival HST/ACS and JWST/NIRCam observations of the nearby dwarf star-forming galaxy WLM to study RR Lyrae in JWST filters. We independently identify RR Lyrae in HST and JWST imaging in order to evaluate JWST's efficacy at characterizing RR Lyrae in… ▽ More RR Lyrae stars are a common, dependable Population II distance indicator, and provide an independent tracer of early star formation. Here, we utilize archival HST/ACS and JWST/NIRCam observations of the nearby dwarf star-forming galaxy WLM to study RR Lyrae in JWST filters. We independently identify RR Lyrae in HST and JWST imaging in order to evaluate JWST's efficacy at characterizing RR Lyrae in the near-IR. We use an MCMC template-fitting technique to obtain periods, amplitudes, and mean magnitudes from the RR Lyrae time-series data. The spatially overlapping HST and JWST observations allow us to directly compare the same sources observed with the instruments, and calibrate the NIRCam F090W and F150W RR Lyrae period-Wesenheit-metallicity (PWZ) relation to the Gaia-consistent HST PWZ. We additionally assess the epoch-to-epoch consistency of NIRCam photometry, and find evidence of burn-in. We conclude that the zero-point offset is negligible compared to the uncertainties from the template fitting. We conduct an MCMC fit of the PWZ with both HST and JWST data. Our results are three-fold. First, we find that we can reliably identify RR Lyrae in NIRCam data, but light-curve template fitting proves difficult on short-baseline observations. Second, the HST PWZ fit yields a distance modulus to WLM of $μ= 24.85\pm0.05$ ($0.93\pm0.02$ Mpc). This is closer than previous measurements, primarily attributed to consistency with the Gaia scale. Lastly, although the JWST PWZ fit has large uncertainties and a poorly-constrained slope, it represents a first-of-its-kind PWZ calibration in NIRCam filters. △ Less

Submitted 24 February, 2026; originally announced February 2026.

Comments: 29 pages, 22 figures, 9 tables, includes appendix, Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

JWST Captures Growth of Aromatic Hydrocarbon Dust Particles in the Extremely Metal-poor Galaxy Sextans A

Authors: Elizabeth J. Tarantino, Julia Roman-Duval, Karin M. Sandstrom, J. -D. T. Smith, Cory M. Whitcomb, Bruce T. Draine, Martha L. Boyer, Jérémy Chastenet, Ryan Chown, Christopher J. R. Clark, Karl D. Gordon, Brandon S. Hensley, Thomas S. -Y. Lai, Christina W. Lindberg, Kristen B. W. McQuinn, Max J. B. Newman, O. Grace Telford, Dries Van De Putte, Benjamin F. Williams

Abstract: The mid-infrared spectrum of star-forming, high metallicity galaxies is dominated by emission features from aromatic and aliphatic bonds in small carbonaceous dust grains, often referred to as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In metal-poor galaxies, the abundance of PAHs relative to the total dust sharply declines, but the origin of this deficit is unknown. We present JWST observations tha… ▽ More The mid-infrared spectrum of star-forming, high metallicity galaxies is dominated by emission features from aromatic and aliphatic bonds in small carbonaceous dust grains, often referred to as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In metal-poor galaxies, the abundance of PAHs relative to the total dust sharply declines, but the origin of this deficit is unknown. We present JWST observations that detect and resolve emission from PAHs in the 7% Solar metallicity galaxy Sextans A, representing the lowest metallicity detection of PAH emission to date. In contrast to higher metallicity galaxies, the clumps of PAH emission are compact (0.5-1.5'' or 3-10 pc), which explains why PAH emission evaded detection by lower resolution instruments like Spitzer. Ratios between the 3.3, 7.7, and 11.3 $μ$m PAH features indicate that the PAH grains in Sextans A are small and neutral, with no evidence of significant processing from the hard radiation fields within the galaxy. These results favor inhibited grain growth over enhanced destruction as the origin of the low PAH abundance in Sextans A. The compact clumps of PAH emission are likely active sites of in-situ PAH growth within a dense, well-shielded phase of the interstellar medium. Our results show that PAHs can form and survive in extremely metal-poor environments common early in the evolution of the Universe. △ Less

Submitted 3 December, 2025; originally announced December 2025.

Comments: Under review

JWST Observations of Starbursts: PAHs Closely Trace the Cool Phase of M82's Galactic Wind

Authors: Sebastian Lopez, Colton Ring, Adam K. Leroy, Serena A. Cronin, Alberto D. Bolatto, Laura A. Lopez, Vicente Villanueva, Deanne B. Fisher, Todd A. Thompson, Grant P. Donnelly, Lee Armus, Torsten Boeker, Leindert A. Boogaard, Martha L. Boyer, Ryan Chown, Daniel A. Dale, Keaton Donaghue, Kimberly Emig, Simon C. O. Glover, Rodrigo Herrera-Camus, Ralf S. Klessen, Thomas S. -Y. Lai, Laura Lenkic, Rebecca C. Levy, David S. Meier , et al. (8 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Stellar feedback drives multiphase gas outflows from starburst galaxies, but the interpretation of dust emission in these winds remains uncertain. To investigate this, we analyze new JWST mid-infrared images tracing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission at 7.7 and 11.3~$μ$m from the outflow of the prototypical starburst M82 out to $3.2$ kpc. We find that PAH emission shows significant cor… ▽ More Stellar feedback drives multiphase gas outflows from starburst galaxies, but the interpretation of dust emission in these winds remains uncertain. To investigate this, we analyze new JWST mid-infrared images tracing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission at 7.7 and 11.3~$μ$m from the outflow of the prototypical starburst M82 out to $3.2$ kpc. We find that PAH emission shows significant correlations with CO, H$α$, and X-ray emission within the outflow, though the strengths and behaviors of these correlations vary with gas phase and distance from the starburst. PAH emission correlates strongly with cold molecular gas, with PAH--CO scaling relations in the wind nearly identical to those in galaxy disks despite the very different conditions. The H$α$--PAH correlation indicates that H$α$ traces the surfaces of PAH-bearing clouds, consistent with arising from ionized layers produced by shocks. Meanwhile the PAH--X-ray correlation disappears once distance effects are controlled for past 2~kpc, suggesting that PAHs are decoupled from the hot gas and the global correlation merely reflects the large-scale structure of the outflow. The PAH-to-neutral gas ratio remains nearly flat to 2~kpc, with variations following changes in the radiation field. This implies that the product of PAH abundance and dust-to-gas ratio does not change significantly over the inner portion of the outflow. Together, these results demonstrate that PAHs robustly trace the cold phase of M82's wind, surviving well beyond the starburst and providing a powerful, high-resolution proxy for mapping the life cycle of entrained cold material in galactic outflows. △ Less

Submitted 11 February, 2026; v1 submitted 1 October, 2025; originally announced October 2025.

Comments: 15 pages, 7 figures, submitted to ApJ Letters (01 October 2025), accepted for publication ApJ Letters (10 February 2026)

Wide binaries in an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy: discovery, population modeling, and a nail in the coffin of primordial black hole dark matter

Authors: Cheyanne Shariat, Kareem El-Badry, Mario Gennaro, Keyi Ding, Joshua D. Simon, Roberto J. Avila, Annalisa Calamida, Santi Cassisi, Matteo Correnti, Daniel R. Weisz, Marla Geha, Evan N. Kirby, Thomas M. Brown, Massimo Ricotti, Kristen B. W. McQuinn, Nitya Kallivayalil, Karoline Gilbert, Camilla Pacifici, Puragra Guhathakurta, Denija Crnojević, Martha L. Boyer, Rachael L. Beaton, Vedant Chandra, Roger E. Cohen, Alvio Renzini , et al. (2 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We report the discovery and characterization of a wide binary population in the ultrafaint dwarf galaxy Boötes I using deep JWST/NIRCam imaging. Our sample consists of 52 candidate binaries with projected separations of 7,000 - 16,000 au and stellar masses from near the hydrogen-burning limit to the main-sequence turnoff ($\sim0.1$ - $0.8~{\rm M_\odot}$). By forward-modeling selection biases and c… ▽ More We report the discovery and characterization of a wide binary population in the ultrafaint dwarf galaxy Boötes I using deep JWST/NIRCam imaging. Our sample consists of 52 candidate binaries with projected separations of 7,000 - 16,000 au and stellar masses from near the hydrogen-burning limit to the main-sequence turnoff ($\sim0.1$ - $0.8~{\rm M_\odot}$). By forward-modeling selection biases and chance alignments, we find that $1.25\pm0.25\%$ of Boötes I stars are members of wide binaries with separations beyond 5,000 au. This fraction, along with the distributions of separations and mass ratios, matches that in the Solar neighborhood, suggesting that wide binary formation is largely insensitive to metallicity, even down to [Fe/H] $\approx -2.5$. The observed truncation in the separation distribution near 16,000 au is well explained by stellar flyby disruptions. We also discuss how the binaries can be used to constrain the galaxy's dark matter properties. We show that our detection places new limits on primordial black hole dark matter, finding that compact objects with $M \gtrsim 5~{\rm M_\odot}$ cannot constitute more than $\sim1\%$ of the dark matter content. In contrast to previous work, we find that wide binaries are unlikely to provide robust constraints on the dark matter profile of ultrafaint galaxies given the uncertainties in the initial binary population, flyby disruptions, and contamination from chance alignments. These findings represent the most robust detection of wide binaries in an external galaxy to date, opening a new avenue for studying binary star formation and survival in extreme environments. △ Less

Submitted 1 October, 2025; v1 submitted 4 September, 2025; originally announced September 2025.

Comments: re-submitted to PASP after minor changes

Discovery of SiC and Iron Dust Around AGB Stars in the very Metal-Poor Sextans A Dwarf Galaxy with JWST: Implications for Dust Production at High Redshift

Authors: M. L. Boyer, G. C. Sloan, A. Nanni, E. Tarantino, I. McDonald, S. Goldman, J. A. D. L Blommaert, F. Dell'Agli, M. Di Criscienzo, D. A. Garcia-Hernandez, R. D. Gehrz, M. A. T. Groenewegen, A. Javadi, O. C. Jones, F. Kemper, M. Marengo, K. B. W. McQuinn, J. M. Oliveira, G. Pastorelli, J. Roman-Duval, R. Sahai, E. D. Skillman, S. Srinivasan, J. Th. van Loon, D. R. Weisz , et al. (1 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Low-resolution infrared spectroscopy from JWST confirms the presence of SiC and likely metallic iron dust around asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the Sextans A dwarf galaxy, which has a metallicity ~1%-7% Z_sun. While metal-poor carbon-rich AGB stars are known to produce copious amounts of amorphous carbon dust owing to the dredge up of newly synthesized carbon, this is the first time that S… ▽ More Low-resolution infrared spectroscopy from JWST confirms the presence of SiC and likely metallic iron dust around asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars in the Sextans A dwarf galaxy, which has a metallicity ~1%-7% Z_sun. While metal-poor carbon-rich AGB stars are known to produce copious amounts of amorphous carbon dust owing to the dredge up of newly synthesized carbon, this is the first time that Si- and Fe-bearing dust has been detected at this extreme metallicity. Of the six AGB stars observed, one is an intermediate-mass (~1.2-4 M_sun) carbon star showing SiC dust, and another is an oxygen-rich M-type star with mass ~4-5 M_sun that is likely undergoing hot bottom burning. The infrared excess of the M-type star is strong, but featureless. We tested multiple dust species, and find that it is best fit with metallic iron dust. Assuming its dust-production rate stays constant over the final 2-3x10^4 yr of its evolution, this star will produce ~0.9-3.7 times the iron dust mass predicted by models, with the range depending on the adopted stellar mass. The implications for dust production in high-redshift galaxies are potentially significant, especially regarding the assumed dust species used in dust evolution models and the timescale of AGB dust formation. Stars on the upper end of the AGB mass range can begin producing dust as early as 30-50 Myr after they form, and they may therefore rival dust production by supernovae at high redshift. △ Less

Submitted 22 July, 2025; originally announced July 2025.

Comments: Accepted for publication in ApJ

An Investigation of Disk Thickness in M51 from H-alpha, Pa-alpha, and Mid-Infrared Power Spectra

Authors: Bruce G. Elmegreen, Daniela Calzetti, Angela Adamo, Karin Sandstrom, Daniel Dale, Varun Bajaj, Martha L. Boyer, Ana Duarte-Cabral, Ryan Chown, Matteo Correnti, Julianne J. Dalcanton, Bruce T. Draine, Brandt Gaches, John S. Gallagher III, Kathryn Grasha, Benjamin Gregg, Leslie K. Hunt, Kelsey E. Johnson, Robert Kennicutt, Jr., Ralf S. Klessen, Adam K. Leroy, Sean Linden, Anna F. McLeod, Matteo Messa, Goran Ostlin , et al. (5 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Power spectra (PS) of high-resolution images of M51 (NGC 5194) taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope have been examined for evidence of disk thickness in the form of a change in slope between large scales, which map two-dimensional correlated structures, and small scales, which map three-dimensional correlated structures. Such a slope change is observed here in H… ▽ More Power spectra (PS) of high-resolution images of M51 (NGC 5194) taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope have been examined for evidence of disk thickness in the form of a change in slope between large scales, which map two-dimensional correlated structures, and small scales, which map three-dimensional correlated structures. Such a slope change is observed here in H-alpha, and possibly Pa-alpha, using average PS of azimuthal intensity scans that avoid bright peaks. The physical scale of the slope change occurs at ~120 pc and ~170 pc for these two transitions, respectively. A radial dependence in the shape of the H-alpha PS also suggests that the length scale drops from ~180 pc at 5 kpc, to ~90 pc at 2 kpc, to ~25 pc in the central ~kpc. We interpret these lengths as comparable to the thicknesses of the star-forming disk traced by HII regions. The corresponding emission measure is ~100 times larger than what is expected from the diffuse ionized gas. PS of JWST Mid-IR Instrument (MIRI) images in 8 passbands have more gradual changes in slope, making it difficult to determine a specific value of the thickness for this emission. △ Less

Submitted 9 April, 2025; v1 submitted 7 April, 2025; originally announced April 2025.

Comments: 20 pages, 7 figures, accepted by Astrophysical Journal April 5, 2025

Detection of Deuterated Hydrocarbon Nanoparticles in the Whirlpool Galaxy, M51

Authors: B. T. Draine, Karin Sandstrom, Daniel A. Dale, J. -D. T. Smith, Ryan Chown, Grant P. Donnelly, Sara E. Duval, Cory M. Whitcomb, Angela Adamo, L. Armus, Danielle A. Berg, Torsten Böker, Alberto D. Bolatto, Martha L. Boyer, Daniela Calzetti, B. G. Elmegreen, Brandt A. L. Gaches, Karl D. Gordon, L. K. Hunt, R. C. Kennicutt, Ralf S. Klessen, Thomas S. -Y. Lai, Adam K. Leroy, Sean T. Linden, Alex Pedrini , et al. (7 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Deuteration of hydrocarbon material, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), has been proposed to account for the low gas-phase abundances of D in the interstellar medium. JWST spectra of four star-forming regions in M51 show an emission feature, with central wavelength $\sim$4.647$μ$m and FWHM 0.0265$μ$m, corresponding to the C-D stretching mode in aliphatic hydrocarbons. The emitting… ▽ More Deuteration of hydrocarbon material, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), has been proposed to account for the low gas-phase abundances of D in the interstellar medium. JWST spectra of four star-forming regions in M51 show an emission feature, with central wavelength $\sim$4.647$μ$m and FWHM 0.0265$μ$m, corresponding to the C-D stretching mode in aliphatic hydrocarbons. The emitting aliphatic material is estimated to have (D/H)$_{\rm aliph}\approx 0.17\pm0.02$ -- a factor $\sim$$10^4$ enrichment relative to the overall interstellar medium (ISM). On $\sim$$50\,$pc scales, deuteration levels toward four H$\,$II regions in M51 are 2-3 times higher than in the Orion Bar photodissociation region (PDR), with implications for the processes responsible for the formation and evolution of hydrocarbon nanoparticles, including PAHs. The deuteration of the aliphatic material is found to anticorrelate with helium ionization in the associated H$\,$II, suggesting that harsh FUV radiation may act to lower the deuteration of aliphatics in PDRs near massive stars. No evidence is found for deuteration of aromatic material, with (D/H)$_{\rm arom} \lesssim 0.016$: deuteration of the aliphatic material exceeds that of the aromatic material by at least a factor 10. The observed levels of deuteration may account for the depletion of D observed in the Galactic interstellar medium. If so, the $4.65μ$m feature may be detectable in absorption. △ Less

Submitted 13 May, 2025; v1 submitted 3 April, 2025; originally announced April 2025.

Comments: Revised. corresponding to published paper

Journal ref: Astrophys. J. Letters, 948:L42 (2025)

The Local Ultraviolet to Infrared Treasury II. Refining Star Formation Histories of Ten Metal-Poor Dwarf Galaxies with Simultaneous UV-Optical Two-CMD Fitting

Authors: Yumi Choi, Karoline M. Gilbert, Benjamin F. Williams, Daniel R. Weisz, Evan D. Skillman, Julianne J. Dalcanton, Kristen B. W. McQuinn, Andrew E. Dolphin, Giada Pastorelli, Martha L. Boyer, Karl D. Gordon, L'eo Girardi, Maude Gull

Abstract: We present the star formation histories (SFHs) of ten metal-poor (<12% Zsun), star-forming dwarf galaxies from the Local Ultraviolet to Infrared Treasury (LUVIT) survey. The derived SFHs exhibit significant variability, consistent with the irregular star formation expected for dwarf galaxies. Using synthetic near ultraviolet (UV) and optical CMDs with various yet targeted configurations for dust a… ▽ More We present the star formation histories (SFHs) of ten metal-poor (<12% Zsun), star-forming dwarf galaxies from the Local Ultraviolet to Infrared Treasury (LUVIT) survey. The derived SFHs exhibit significant variability, consistent with the irregular star formation expected for dwarf galaxies. Using synthetic near ultraviolet (UV) and optical CMDs with various yet targeted configurations for dust and input SFHs, we quantitatively demonstrate that simultaneous modeling of the UV and optical CMDs ("UVopt" case) improves the precision of SFH measurements in recent time bins up to ~1 Gyr, compared to the classical single optical CMD modeling ("Opt-only" case). The UVopt case reduces uncertainties relative to the Opt-only case by ~4-8% over the past 10 Myr, ~8-20% over 100 Myr, and ~8-14% over 1 Gyr, across various dust configurations and input SFHs. Additionally, we demonstrate discrepancies in stellar models for blue core helium-burning (BHeB) stars at the low metallicity regime. This discrepancy can artificially inflate star formation rate (SFR) estimates in younger age bins by misinterpreting the evolved BHeB stars as reddened upper main-sequence (MS) stars. Incorporating UV data improves BHeB-MS separation and mitigates the limitations of current low metallicity stellar models. Comparisons of the UVopt SFHs with Ha and FUV-based SFRs reconfirm that Ha is an unreliable tracer over its nominal 10 Myr timescale for low-SFR galaxies, while FUV provides a more reliable tracer but yields SFR_FUV values up to twice those of CMD-based <SFR>_100Myr. Our findings underscore the importance of UV data in refining recent SFHs in low-metallicity environments. △ Less

Submitted 18 March, 2025; originally announced March 2025.

Comments: 33 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in AJ

The JWST Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science Program. VIII. The Spatially Resolved Star Formation History of WLM

Authors: Roger E. Cohen, Kristen B. W. McQuinn, Alessandro Savino, Max J. B. Newman, Daniel R. Weisz, Andrew E. Dolphin, Martha L. Boyer, Matteo Correnti, Marla C. Geha, Mario Gennaro, Karoline M. Gilbert, Nitya Kallivayalil, Jack T. Warfield, Benjamin F. Williams, Alyson M. Brooks, Andrew A. Cole, Evan D. Skillman, Christopher T. Garling, Jason S. Kalirai, Jay Anderson

Abstract: We measure radial stellar age gradients in the relatively isolated gas-rich dwarf irregular WLM, combining JWST NIRCam and NIRISS imaging with six archival Hubble fields over semi-major axis equivalent distances of 0$\lesssim$R$_{SMA}$$\lesssim$4 kpc ($\lesssim$3R$_{hl}$). Fitting lifetime star formation histories (SFHs) to resolved color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs), radial age gradients are quantif… ▽ More We measure radial stellar age gradients in the relatively isolated gas-rich dwarf irregular WLM, combining JWST NIRCam and NIRISS imaging with six archival Hubble fields over semi-major axis equivalent distances of 0$\lesssim$R$_{SMA}$$\lesssim$4 kpc ($\lesssim$3R$_{hl}$). Fitting lifetime star formation histories (SFHs) to resolved color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs), radial age gradients are quantified using $τ_{90}$ and $τ_{50}$, the lookback times to form 90\% and 50\% of the cumulative stellar mass. We find that globally, the outskirts of WLM are older on average, with ($δ$$τ_{90}$, $δ$$τ_{50}$)/$δ$R$_{SMA}=$(0.82$^{+0.10}_{-0.10}$, 1.60$^{+0.23}_{-0.22}$) Gyr/kpc (stat.), in good agreement with simulations. However, we also detect an azimuthal dependence of radial stellar age gradients, finding that stars on the leading edge of WLM (relative to its proper motion) are both younger and have a flatter age gradient compared to the trailing edge. This difference persists over 0.6$\lesssim$R$_{SMA}$$\lesssim$3.2 kpc ($\sim$0.5$-$2.5R$_{hl}$) and lookback times up to $\sim$8 Gyr, and is robust to assumed stellar evolutionary model. Our results are consistent with star formation triggered by ram pressure stripping from a circumgalactic and/or intergalactic medium, suggested by recent HI observations. If confirmed, processes typifying dense environments, such as ram pressure stripping, may be more relevant to the evolution of isolated galaxies than previously thought. △ Less

Submitted 19 February, 2025; originally announced February 2025.

Comments: ApJ in press. 23 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables

The Local Ultraviolet to Infrared Treasury I. Survey Overview of the Broadband Imaging

Authors: Karoline M. Gilbert, Yumi Choi, Martha L. Boyer, Benjamin F. Williams, Daniel R. Weisz, Eric F. Bell, Julianne J. Dalcanton, Kristen B. W. McQuinn, Evan D. Skillman, Guglielmo Costa, Andrew E. Dolphin, Morgan Fouesneau, Léo Girardi, Steven R. Goldman, Karl D. Gordon, Puragra Guhathakurta, Maude Gull, Lea Hagen, Ky Huynh, Christina W. Lindberg, Paola Marigo, Claire E. Murray, Giada Pastorelli, Petia Yanchulova Merica-Jones

Abstract: The Local Ultraviolet to Infrared Treasury (LUVIT) is a Hubble Space Telescope program that combines newly acquired data in the near ultraviolet (NUV), optical, and near infrared (NIR) with archival optical and NIR imaging to produce multiband panchromatic resolved stellar catalogs for 23 pointings in 22 low-mass, star-forming galaxies ranging in distance from the outskirts of the Local Group to ~… ▽ More The Local Ultraviolet to Infrared Treasury (LUVIT) is a Hubble Space Telescope program that combines newly acquired data in the near ultraviolet (NUV), optical, and near infrared (NIR) with archival optical and NIR imaging to produce multiband panchromatic resolved stellar catalogs for 23 pointings in 22 low-mass, star-forming galaxies ranging in distance from the outskirts of the Local Group to ~3.8 Mpc. We describe the survey design, detail the LUVIT broadband filter observations and the archival datasets included in the LUVIT reductions, and summarize the simultaneous multiband data reduction steps. The spatial distributions and color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) from the resulting stellar catalogs are presented for each target, from the NUV to the NIR. We demonstrate in which regions of the CMDs stars with NUV and optical, optical and NIR, and NUV through NIR detections reside. For each target, we use the results from artificial star tests to measure representative completeness, bias, and total photometric uncertainty as a function of magnitude in each broadband filter. We also assess which LUVIT targets have significant spatial variation in the fraction of stars recovered at a given magnitude. The panchromatic LUVIT stellar catalogs will provide a rich legacy dataset for a host of resolved stellar population studies. △ Less

Submitted 15 January, 2025; v1 submitted 27 October, 2024; originally announced October 2024.

Comments: 48 pages, 14 figures, 8 tables, published in ApJS

Journal ref: The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 2025, Volume 276, Issue 1, id.8, 33 pp

Scylla II. The Spatially Resolved Star Formation History of the Large Magellanic Cloud Reveals an Inverted Radial Age Gradient

Authors: Roger E. Cohen, Kristen B. W. McQuinn, Claire E. Murray, Benjamin F. Williams, Yumi Choi, Christina W. Lindberg, Clare Burhenne, Karl D. Gordon, Petia Yanchulova Merica-Jones, Karoline M. Gilbert, Martha L. Boyer, Steven Goldman, Andrew E. Dolphin, O. Grace Telford

Abstract: The proximity of the Magellanic Clouds provides the opportunity to study interacting dwarf galaxies near a massive host, and spatial trends in their stellar population properties in particular, with a unique level of detail. The Scylla pure parallel program has obtained deep (80% complete to >1 mag below the ancient main sequence turnoff), homogeneous two-filter Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imagin… ▽ More The proximity of the Magellanic Clouds provides the opportunity to study interacting dwarf galaxies near a massive host, and spatial trends in their stellar population properties in particular, with a unique level of detail. The Scylla pure parallel program has obtained deep (80% complete to >1 mag below the ancient main sequence turnoff), homogeneous two-filter Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging sampling the inner star-forming disk of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), the perfect complement to shallower, contiguous ground-based surveys. We harness this imaging together with extant archival data and fit lifetime star formation histories (SFHs) to resolved color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of 111 individual fields, using three different stellar evolutionary libraries. We validate per-field recovered distances and extinctions as well as the combined global LMC age-metallicity relation and SFH against independent estimates. We find that the present-day radial age gradient reverses from an inside-out gradient in the inner disk to an outside-in gradient beyond $\sim$2 disk scalelengths, supported by ground-based measurements. The gradients become relatively flatter at earlier lookback times, while the location of the inversion remains constant over an order of magnitude in lookback time, from $\sim$1$-$10 Gyr. This suggests at least one mechanism that predates the recent intense LMC-SMC interaction. We compare observed radial age trends to other late-type galaxies at fixed stellar mass and discuss similarities and differences in the context of potential drivers, implying strong radial migration in the LMC. △ Less

Submitted 15 October, 2024; originally announced October 2024.

Comments: ApJ in press. 45 pages, 17 figures, 9 tables including Appendices

Scylla I: A pure-parallel, multi-wavelength imaging survey of the ULLYSES fields in the LMC and SMC

Authors: Claire E. Murray, Christina W. Lindberg, Petia Yanchulova Merica-Jones, Benjamin F. Williams, Roger E. Cohen, Karl D. Gordon, Kristen B. W. McQuinn, Yumi Choi, Clare Burhenne, Karin M. Sandstrom, Caroline Bot, L. Clifton Johnson, Steven R. Goldman, Christopher J. R. Clark, Julia C. Roman-Duval, Karoline M. Gilbert, J. E. G. Peek, Alec S. Hirschauer, Martha L. Boyer, Andrew E. Dolphin

Abstract: Scylla is a deep Hubble Space Telescope survey of the stellar populations, interstellar medium and star formation in the LMC and SMC. As a pure-parallel complement to the Ultraviolet Legacy Library of Young Stars as Essential Standards (ULLYSES) survey, Scylla obtained 342 orbits of ultraviolet (UV) through near-infrared (IR) imaging of the LMC and SMC with Wide Field Camera 3. In this paper, we d… ▽ More Scylla is a deep Hubble Space Telescope survey of the stellar populations, interstellar medium and star formation in the LMC and SMC. As a pure-parallel complement to the Ultraviolet Legacy Library of Young Stars as Essential Standards (ULLYSES) survey, Scylla obtained 342 orbits of ultraviolet (UV) through near-infrared (IR) imaging of the LMC and SMC with Wide Field Camera 3. In this paper, we describe the science objectives, observing strategy, data reduction procedure, and initial results from our photometric analysis of 96 observed fields. Although our observations were constrained by ULYSSES primary exposures, we imaged all fields in at least two filters (F475W and F814W), and 64% of fields in at least three and as many as seven WFC3 filters spanning the UV to IR. Overall, we reach average 50% completeness of $m_{\rm F225W}=26.0$, $m_{\rm F275W}=26.2$, $m_{\rm F336W}=26.9$, $m_{\rm F475W}=27.8$, $m_{\rm F814W}=25.5$, $m_{\rm F110W}=24.7$, and $m_{\rm F160W}=24.0$ Vega magnitudes in our photometric catalogs, which is faintward of the ancient main sequence turnoff in all filters. The primary science goals of Scylla include characterizing the structure and properties of dust in the MCs, as well as their spatially-resolved star formation and chemical enrichment histories. Our images and photometric catalogs, which represent the widest-area coverage of MCs with HST photometry to date, are available as a high-level science product at the Barbara A. Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes. △ Less

Submitted 15 October, 2024; originally announced October 2024.

Comments: 25 pages, 16 figures, 8 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJS

The Ancient Star Formation History of the Extremely Low-Mass Galaxy Leo P: An Emerging Trend of a Post-Reionization Pause in Star Formation

Authors: Kristen B. W. McQuinn, Max J. B. Newman, Evan D. Skillman, O. Grace Telford, Alyson Brooks, Elizabeth A. K. Adams, Danielle A. Berg, Martha L. Boyer, John M. Cannon, Andrew E. Dolphin, Anthony Pahl, Katherine L. Rhode, John J. Salzer, Roger E. Cohen, Steve R. Goldman

Abstract: Isolated, low-mass galaxies provide the opportunity to assess the impact of reionization on their star formation histories (SFHs) without the ambiguity of environmental processes associated with massive host galaxies. There are very few isolated, low-mass galaxies that are close enough to determine their SFHs from resolved star photometry reaching below the oldest main sequence turnoff. JWST has i… ▽ More Isolated, low-mass galaxies provide the opportunity to assess the impact of reionization on their star formation histories (SFHs) without the ambiguity of environmental processes associated with massive host galaxies. There are very few isolated, low-mass galaxies that are close enough to determine their SFHs from resolved star photometry reaching below the oldest main sequence turnoff. JWST has increased the volume for which this is possible, and here we report on JWST observations of the low-mass, isolated galaxy Leo P. From NIRCam imaging in F090W, F150W, and F277W, we derive a SFH which shows early star formation followed by a pause subsequent to the epoch of reionization which is then later followed by a re-ignition of star formation. This is very similar to the SFHs from previous studies of other dwarf galaxies in the ``transition zone'' between quenched very low-mass galaxies and the more massive galaxies which show no evidence of the impact of reionization on their SFHs; this pattern is rarely produced in simulations of SFHs. The lifetime SFH reveals that Leo P's stellar mass at the epoch of reionization was in the range that is normally associated with being totally quenched. The extended pause in star formation from z~5-1 has important implications for the contribution of low-mass galaxies to the UV photon budget at intermediate redshifts. We also demonstrate that, due to higher sensitivity and angular resolution, observing in two NIRCam short wavelength filters is superior to observing in a combination of a short and a long wavelength filter. △ Less

Submitted 27 September, 2024; originally announced September 2024.

Comments: 24 pages, 9 figures, 3 tables

JWST MIRI and NIRCam observations of NGC 891 and its circumgalactic medium

Authors: Jérémy Chastenet, Ilse De Looze, Monica Relaño, Daniel A. Dale, Thomas G. Williams, Simone Bianchi, Emmanuel M. Xilouris, Maarten Baes, Alberto D. Bolatto, Martha L. Boyer, Viviana Casasola, Christopher J. R. Clark, Filippo Fraternali, Jacopo Fritz, Frédéric Galliano, Simon C. O. Glover, Karl D. Gordon, Hiroyuki Hirashita, Robert Kennicutt, Kentaro Nagamine, Florian Kirchschlager, Ralf S. Klessen, Eric W. Koch, Rebecca C. Levy, Lewis McCallum , et al. (15 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present new JWST observations of the nearby, prototypical edge-on, spiral galaxy NGC 891. The northern half of the disk was observed with NIRCam in its F150W and F277W filters. Absorption is clearly visible in the mid-plane of the F150W image, along with vertical dusty plumes that closely resemble the ones seen in the optical. A $\sim 10 \times 3~{\rm kpc}^2$ area of the lower circumgalactic me… ▽ More We present new JWST observations of the nearby, prototypical edge-on, spiral galaxy NGC 891. The northern half of the disk was observed with NIRCam in its F150W and F277W filters. Absorption is clearly visible in the mid-plane of the F150W image, along with vertical dusty plumes that closely resemble the ones seen in the optical. A $\sim 10 \times 3~{\rm kpc}^2$ area of the lower circumgalactic medium (CGM) was mapped with MIRI F770W at 12 pc scales. Thanks to the sensitivity and resolution of JWST, we detect dust emission out to $\sim 4$ kpc from the disk, in the form of filaments, arcs, and super-bubbles. Some of these filaments can be traced back to regions with recent star formation activity, suggesting that feedback-driven galactic winds play an important role in regulating baryonic cycling. The presence of dust at these altitudes raises questions about the transport mechanisms at play and suggests that small dust grains are able to survive for several tens of million years after having been ejected by galactic winds in the disk-halo interface. We lay out several scenarios that could explain this emission: dust grains may be shielded in the outer layers of cool dense clouds expelled from the galaxy disk, and/or the emission comes from the mixing layers around these cool clumps where material from the hot gas is able to cool down and mix with these cool cloudlets. This first set of data and upcoming spectroscopy will be very helpful to understand the survival of dust grains in energetic environments, and their contribution to recycling baryonic material in the mid-plane of galaxies. △ Less

Submitted 15 August, 2024; originally announced August 2024.

Comments: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics; 16 pages, 8 figures

Journal ref: A&A 690, A348 (2024)

JWST Observations of Starbursts: Massive Star Clusters in the Central Starburst of M82

Authors: Rebecca C. Levy, Alberto D. Bolatto, Divakara Mayya, Bolivia Cuevas-Otahola, Elizabeth Tarantino, Martha L. Boyer, Leindert A. Boogaard, Torsten Böker, Serena A. Cronin, Daniel A. Dale, Keaton Donaghue, Kimberly L. Emig, Deanne B. Fisher, Simon C. O. Glover, Rodrigo Herrera-Camus, María J. Jiménez-Donaire, Ralf S. Klessen, Laura Lenkić, Adam K. Leroy, Ilse De Looze, David S. Meier, Elisabeth A. C. Mills, Juergen Ott, Mónica Relaño, Sylvain Veilleux , et al. (3 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present a near infrared (NIR) candidate star cluster catalog for the central kiloparsec of M82 based on new JWST NIRCam images. We identify star cluster candidates using the F250M filter, finding 1357 star cluster candidates with stellar masses $>10^4$ M$_\odot$. Compared to previous optical catalogs, nearly all (87%) of the candidates we identify are new. The star cluster candidates have a med… ▽ More We present a near infrared (NIR) candidate star cluster catalog for the central kiloparsec of M82 based on new JWST NIRCam images. We identify star cluster candidates using the F250M filter, finding 1357 star cluster candidates with stellar masses $>10^4$ M$_\odot$. Compared to previous optical catalogs, nearly all (87%) of the candidates we identify are new. The star cluster candidates have a median intrinsic cluster radius of $\approx$1 pc and have stellar masses up to $10^6$ M$_\odot$. By comparing the color-color diagram to dust-free yggdrasil stellar population models, we estimate that the star cluster candidates have A$_{\rm V}\sim3-24$ mag, corresponding to A$_{\rm 2.5μm}\sim0.3-2.1$ mag. There is still appreciable dust extinction towards these clusters into the NIR. We measure the stellar masses of the star cluster candidates, assuming ages of 0 and 8 Myr. The slope of the resulting cluster mass function is $β=1.9\pm0.2$, in excellent agreement with studies of star clusters in other galaxies. △ Less

Submitted 13 August, 2024; v1 submitted 7 August, 2024; originally announced August 2024.

Comments: Resubmitted to ApJL

Imaging of I Zw 18 by JWST: II. Spatially resolved star formation history

Authors: Giacomo Bortolini, Göran Östlin, Nolan Habel, Alec S. Hirschauer, Olivia C. Jones, Kay Justtanont, Margaret Meixner, Martha L. Boyer, Joris A. D. L. Blommaert, Nicolas Crouzet, Lenkić, Conor Nally, Beth A. Sargent, Paul van der Werf, Manuel Güdel, Thomas Henning, Pierre O. Lagage

Abstract: The blue compact dwarf galaxy I Zw 18 is one of the most metal-poor ($Z \sim 3% Z_{\sun}$) star-forming galaxies in the local Universe. Its evolutionary status has sparked debate within the astronomical community. We aim to investigate the stellar populations of I Zw 18 in the near-IR using JWST/NIRCam's high spatial resolution and sensitivity. Additionally, we aim to derive the galaxy's spatially… ▽ More The blue compact dwarf galaxy I Zw 18 is one of the most metal-poor ($Z \sim 3% Z_{\sun}$) star-forming galaxies in the local Universe. Its evolutionary status has sparked debate within the astronomical community. We aim to investigate the stellar populations of I Zw 18 in the near-IR using JWST/NIRCam's high spatial resolution and sensitivity. Additionally, we aim to derive the galaxy's spatially resolved star formation history (SFH) over the last 1 Gyr and provide constraints for older epochs. We used DOLPHOT to measure positions and fluxes of point sources in the F115W and F200W filters' images of I Zw 18. To derive I Zw 18's SFH, we applied the color-magnitude diagram (CMD) fitting technique SFERA 2.0, using two independent sets of stellar models. Our analysis reveals three main stellar populations: one younger than $\sim30$ Myr, mainly in the northwest star-forming (SF) region; an intermediate-age population ($\sim 100 - 800$ Myr) in the southeast SF region; and a red and faint population linked to the underlying halo, older than 1 Gyr and possibly as old as 13.8 Gyr. The main body of the galaxy shows a very low star formation rate (SFR) of $\sim 10^{-4} M_{\odot} \text{yr}^{-1}$ between 1 and 13.8 Gyr ago. In the last billion years, I Zw 18 shows increasing SF, with strong bursts around $\sim10$ and $\sim100$ Myr ago. Component C mirrors the main body's evolution but with lower SFRs. Our findings confirm that I Zw 18 contains stars of all ages, indicating it is not a young galaxy but has an old stellar halo, similar to other BCDs. The low SF activity over the past billion years supports the "slow cooking" dwarf scenario, explaining its low metal content. Currently, the galaxy is undergoing its strongest SF episode ($\sim 0.6 M_{\odot} \text{yr}^{-1}$) mainly in the northwest region, likely due to a recent gravitational interaction with Component C. △ Less

Submitted 25 June, 2024; originally announced June 2024.

Comments: 14 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publications in Astronomy & Astrophysics (section "4. Extragalactic astronomy")

An Empirical Calibration of the Tip of the Red Giant Branch Distance Method in the Near Infrared. II. JWST NIRCam Wide Filters

Authors: Max J. B. Newman, Kristen B. W. McQuinn, Evan D. Skillman, Martha L. Boyer, Roger E. Cohen, Andrew E. Dolphin, O. Grace Telford

Abstract: The tip of the red giant (TRGB) is a standardizable candle and is identifiable as the discontinuity at the bright extreme of the red giant branch (RGB) stars in color-magnitude diagram (CMD) space. The TRGB-based distance method has been calibrated and used to measured distances to galaxies out to $D\leq20$ Mpc with the $I$-band equivalent Hubble Space Telescope ($HST$) $F814W$ filter, and as an i… ▽ More The tip of the red giant (TRGB) is a standardizable candle and is identifiable as the discontinuity at the bright extreme of the red giant branch (RGB) stars in color-magnitude diagram (CMD) space. The TRGB-based distance method has been calibrated and used to measured distances to galaxies out to $D\leq20$ Mpc with the $I$-band equivalent Hubble Space Telescope ($HST$) $F814W$ filter, and as an important rung in the distance ladder to measure the Hubble constant, $H_0$. In the infrared (IR), the TRGB apparent magnitude ranges from $1-2$ magnitudes brighter than in the optical, and now with the IR James Webb Space Telescope ($JWST$) observatory the feasible distance range of the TRGB method can be extended to $\sim50$ Mpc. However, in the IR the TRGB luminosity depends to varying degrees on stellar metallicity and age. In this study we standardize the TRGB luminosity using stellar colors as a proxy for metallicity/age to derive color-based corrections for the $JWST$ Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) short wavelength (SW) filters $F090W$, $F115W$, $F150W$ and the long wavelength (LW) filters $F277W$, $F356W,$ and $F444W$. We provide recommended filter combinations for distance measurements depending on the requisite precision. For science requiring high precision ($\leq1\%$ in distance) and robustness we recommend measuring the TRGB in $F090W$ vs $F090W-F150W$ or $F115W$ vs. $F115W-F277W$ with the caveat that even with $JWST$ long integration times will be necessary at further distances. If lower precision ($>1.5\%$ in distance) can be tolerated, or if shorter integration times are desirable, we recommend measuring the TRGB in either $F115W$ or $F150W$ paired with $F356W$. We do not recommend $F444W$ for precision TRGB measurements due to its lower angular resolution. △ Less

Submitted 11 June, 2024; v1 submitted 5 June, 2024; originally announced June 2024.

Comments: 25 pages, 11 figures

The JWST Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science Program VII. Stress Testing the NIRCam Exposure Time Calculator

Authors: A. Savino, M. Gennaro, A. E. Dolphin, D. R. Weisz, M. Correnti, J. Anderson, R. Beaton, M. L. Boyer, R. E. Cohen, A. A. Cole, M. J. Durbin, C. T. Garling, M. C. Geha, K. M. Gilbert, J. Kalirai, N. Kallivayalil, K. B. W. McQuinn, M. J. B. Newman, H. Richstein, E. D. Skillman, J. T. Warfield, B. F. Williams

Abstract: We empirically assess estimates from v3.0 of the JWST NIRCam Exposure Time Calculator (ETC) using observations of resolved stars in Local Group targets taken as part of the Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science (ERS) Program. For bright stars, we find that: (i) purely Poissonian estimates of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are in good agreement between the ETC and observations, but no… ▽ More We empirically assess estimates from v3.0 of the JWST NIRCam Exposure Time Calculator (ETC) using observations of resolved stars in Local Group targets taken as part of the Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science (ERS) Program. For bright stars, we find that: (i) purely Poissonian estimates of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are in good agreement between the ETC and observations, but non-ideal effects (e.g., flat field uncertainties) are the current limiting factor in the photometric precision that can be achieved; (ii) source position offsets, relative to the detector pixels, have a large impact on the ETC saturation predictions and introducing sub-pixel dithers in the observation design can improve the saturation limits by up to ~1 mag. For faint stars, for which the sky dominates the error budget, we find that the choice in ETC extraction strategy (e.g., aperture size relative to point spread function size) can affect the exposure time estimates by up to a factor of 5. We provide guidelines for configuring the ETC aperture photometry to produce SNR predictions in line with the ERS data. Finally, we quantify the effects of crowding on the SNRs over a large dynamic range in stellar density and provide guidelines for approximating the effects of crowding on SNRs predicted by the ETC. △ Less

Submitted 27 May, 2024; originally announced May 2024.

Comments: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 18 pages, 9 Figures, 2 Tables

JWST Observations of Starbursts: Cold Clouds and Plumes Launching in the M82 Outflow

Authors: Deanne B. Fisher, Alberto D. Bolatto, John Chisholm, Drummond Fielding, Rebecca C. Levy, Elizabeth Tarantino, Martha L. Boyer, Serena A. Cronin, Laura A. Lopez, J. D. Smith, Danielle A. Berg, Sebastian Lopez, Sylvain Veilleux, Paul P. van der Werf, Torsten Böker, Leindert A. Boogaard, Laura Lenkić, Simon C. O. Glover, Vicente Villanueva, Divakara Mayya, Thomas S. -Y. Lai, Daniel A. Dale, Kimberly L. Emig, Fabian Walter, Monica Relaño , et al. (6 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: In this paper we study the filamentary substructure of 3.3 $μ$m PAH emission from JWST/NIRCam observations in the base of the M82 star-burst driven wind. We identify plume-like substructure within the PAH emission with widths of $\sim$50 pc. Several of the plumes extend to the edge of the field-of-view, and thus are at least 200-300 pc in length. In this region of the outflow, the vast majority (… ▽ More In this paper we study the filamentary substructure of 3.3 $μ$m PAH emission from JWST/NIRCam observations in the base of the M82 star-burst driven wind. We identify plume-like substructure within the PAH emission with widths of $\sim$50 pc. Several of the plumes extend to the edge of the field-of-view, and thus are at least 200-300 pc in length. In this region of the outflow, the vast majority ($\sim$70\%) of PAH emission is associated with the plumes. We show that those structures contain smaller scale "clouds" with widths that are $\sim$5-15 pc, and they are morphologically similar to the results of "cloud-crushing" simulations. We estimate the cloud-crushing time-scales of $\sim$0.5-3 Myr, depending on assumptions. We show this time scale is consistent with a picture in which these observed PAH clouds survived break-out from the disk rather than being destroyed by the hot wind. The PAH emission in both the midplane and the outflow is shown to tightly correlate with that of Pa$α$ emission (from HST/NICMOS data), at the scale of both plumes and clouds, though the ratio of PAH-to-Pa$α$ increases at further distances from the midplane. Finally, we show that the outflow PAH emission is suppressed in regions of the M82 wind that are bright in X-ray emission. Overall, our results are broadly consistent with a picture in which cold gas in galactic outflows is launched via hierarchically structured plumes, and those small scale clouds are more likely to survive the wind environment when collected into the larger plume structure. △ Less

Submitted 6 May, 2024; originally announced May 2024.

Comments: Submitted to MNRAS

Imaging of I Zw 18 by JWST. I. Strategy and First Results of Dusty Stellar Populations

Authors: Alec S. Hirschauer, Nicolas Crouzet, Nolan Habel, Laura Lenkić, Conor Nally, Olivia C. Jones, Giacomo Bortolini, Martha L. Boyer, Kay Justtanont Margaret Meixner, Göran Östlin, Gillian S. Wright, Ruyman Azzollini, Joris A. D. L. Blommaert, Bernhard Brandl, Leen Decin, Omnarayani Nayak, Pierre Royer, B. A. Sargent, Paul van der Werf

Abstract: We present a JWST imaging survey of I Zw 18, the archetypal extremely metal-poor, star-forming (SF), blue compact dwarf galaxy. With an oxygen abundance of only $\sim$3% $Z_{\odot}$, it is among the lowest-metallicity systems known in the local Universe, and is, therefore, an excellent accessible analog for the galactic building blocks which existed at early epochs of ionization and star formation… ▽ More We present a JWST imaging survey of I Zw 18, the archetypal extremely metal-poor, star-forming (SF), blue compact dwarf galaxy. With an oxygen abundance of only $\sim$3% $Z_{\odot}$, it is among the lowest-metallicity systems known in the local Universe, and is, therefore, an excellent accessible analog for the galactic building blocks which existed at early epochs of ionization and star formation. These JWST data provide a comprehensive infrared (IR) view of I Zw 18 with eight filters utilizing both Near Infrared Camera (F115W, F200W, F356W, and F444W) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (F770W, F1000W, F1500W, and F1800W) photometry, which we have used to identify key stellar populations that are bright in the near- and mid-IR. These data allow for a better understanding of the origins of dust and dust-production mechanisms in metal-poor environments by characterizing the population of massive, evolved stars in the red supergiant (RSG) and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) phases. In addition, it enables the identification of the brightest dust-enshrouded young stellar objects (YSOs), which provide insight into the formation of massive stars at extremely low metallicities typical of the very early Universe. This paper provides an overview of the observational strategy and data processing, and presents first science results, including identifications of dusty AGB, RSG, and bright YSO candidates. These first results assess the scientific quality of JWST data and provide a guide for obtaining and interpreting future observations of the dusty and evolved stars inhabiting compact dwarf SF galaxies in the local Universe. △ Less

Submitted 26 June, 2024; v1 submitted 11 March, 2024; originally announced March 2024.

Comments: Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal; 25 pages, 14 figures, 4 tables

SMC-Last Extracted Photometry

Authors: T. A. Kuchar, G. C. Sloan, D. R. Mizuno, Kathleen E. Kraemer, M. L. Boyer, Martin A. T. Groenewegen, O. C. Jones, F. Kemper, Iain McDonald, Joana M. Oliveira, Marta Sewiło, Sundar Srinivasan, Jacco Th. van Loon, Albert Zijlstra

Abstract: We present point-source photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope's final survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We mapped 30 square degrees in two epochs in 2017, with the second extending to early 2018 at 3.6 and 4.5 microns using the Infrared Array Camera. This survey duplicates the footprint from the SAGE-SMC program in 2008. Together, these surveys cover a nearly 10 yr temporal baselin… ▽ More We present point-source photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope's final survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). We mapped 30 square degrees in two epochs in 2017, with the second extending to early 2018 at 3.6 and 4.5 microns using the Infrared Array Camera. This survey duplicates the footprint from the SAGE-SMC program in 2008. Together, these surveys cover a nearly 10 yr temporal baseline in the SMC. We performed aperture photometry on the mosaicked maps produced from the new data. We did not use any prior catalogs as inputs for the extractor in order to be sensitive to any moving objects (e.g., foreground brown dwarfs) and other transient phenomena (e.g., cataclysmic variables or FU Ori-type eruptions). We produced a point-source catalog with high-confidence sources for each epoch as well as combined-epoch catalog. For each epoch and the combined-epoch data, we also produced a more complete archive with lower-confidence sources. All of these data products will be available to the community at the Infrared Science Archive. △ Less

Submitted 11 March, 2024; originally announced March 2024.

Comments: 16 pages, 11 figures, 6 tables

Journal ref: AJ 167 149 (2024)

An Empirical Calibration of the Tip of the Red Giant Branch Distance Method in the Near Infrared. I. HST WFC3/IR F110W and F160W Filters

Authors: Max J. B. Newman, Kristen B. W. McQuinn, Evan D. Skillman, Martha L. Boyer, Roger E. Cohen, Andrew E. Dolphin, O. Grace Telford

Abstract: The Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB)-based distance method in the I band is one of the most efficient and precise techniques for measuring distances to nearby galaxies (D <= 15 Mpc). The TRGB in the near infrared (NIR) is 1 to 2 magnitudes brighter relative to the I band, and has the potential to expand the range over which distance measurements to nearby galaxies are feasible. Using Hubble Spac… ▽ More The Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB)-based distance method in the I band is one of the most efficient and precise techniques for measuring distances to nearby galaxies (D <= 15 Mpc). The TRGB in the near infrared (NIR) is 1 to 2 magnitudes brighter relative to the I band, and has the potential to expand the range over which distance measurements to nearby galaxies are feasible. Using Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging of 12 fields in 8 nearby galaxies, we determine color-based corrections and zero points of the TRGB in the Wide Field Camera 3 IR (WFC3/IR) F110W and F160W filters. First, we measure TRGB distances in the I band equivalent Advanced Camera System (ACS) F814W filter from resolved stellar populations with the HST. The TRGB in the ACS F814W filter is used for our distance anchor and to place the WFC3/IR magnitudes on an absolute scale. We then determine the color dependence (a proxy for metallicity/age) and zero point of the NIR TRGB from photometry of WFC3/IR fields which overlap with the ACS fields. The new calibration is accurate to ~1% in distance, relative to the F814W TRGB. Validating the accuracy of the calibrations, we find that the distance modulus for each field using the NIR TRGB calibration agrees with the distance modulus of the same fields as determined from the F814W TRGB. This is a JWST preparatory program and the work done here will directly inform our approach to calibrating the TRGB in JWST NIRCam and NIRISS photometric filters. △ Less

Submitted 3 June, 2024; v1 submitted 5 March, 2024; originally announced March 2024.

Comments: 23 pages, 8 figures, accepted by the Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)

Journal ref: ApJ, Volume 966, Number 2, Year 2024

The JWST Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science Program V. DOLPHOT Stellar Photometry for NIRCam and NIRISS

Authors: Daniel R. Weisz, Andrew E. Dolphin, Alessandro Savino, Kristen B. W. McQuinn, Max J. B. Newman, Benjamin F. Williams, Nitya Kallivayalil, Jay Anderson, Martha L. Boyer, Matteo Correnti, Marla C. Geha, Karin M. Sandstrom, Andrew A. Cole, Jack T. Warfield, Evan D. Skillman, Roger E. Cohen, Rachael Beaton, Alessandro Bressan, Alberto Bolatto, Michael Boylan-Kolchin, Alyson M. Brooks, James S. Bullock, Charlie Conroy, Michael C. Cooper, Julianne J. Dalcanton , et al. (16 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present NIRCam and NIRISS modules for DOLPHOT, a widely-used crowded field stellar photometry package. We describe details of the modules including pixel masking, astrometric alignment, star finding, photometry, catalog creation, and artificial star tests (ASTs). We tested these modules using NIRCam and NIRISS images of M92 (a Milky Way globular cluster), Draco II (an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy),… ▽ More We present NIRCam and NIRISS modules for DOLPHOT, a widely-used crowded field stellar photometry package. We describe details of the modules including pixel masking, astrometric alignment, star finding, photometry, catalog creation, and artificial star tests (ASTs). We tested these modules using NIRCam and NIRISS images of M92 (a Milky Way globular cluster), Draco II (an ultra-faint dwarf galaxy), and WLM (a star-forming dwarf galaxy). DOLPHOT's photometry is highly precise and the color-magnitude diagrams are deeper and have better definition than anticipated during original program design in 2017. The primary systematic uncertainties in DOLPHOT's photometry arise from mismatches in the model and observed point spread functions (PSFs) and aperture corrections, each contributing $\lesssim0.01$ mag to the photometric error budget. Version 1.2 of WebbPSF models, which include charge diffusion and interpixel capacitance effects, significantly reduced PSF-related uncertainties. We also observed minor ($\lesssim0.05$ mag) chip-to-chip variations in NIRCam's zero points, which will be addressed by the JWST flux calibration program. Globular cluster observations are crucial for photometric calibration. Temporal variations in the photometry are generally $\lesssim0.01$ mag, although rare large misalignment events can introduce errors up to 0.08 mag. We provide recommended DOLPHOT parameters, guidelines for photometric reduction, and advice for improved observing strategies. Our ERS DOLPHOT data products are available on MAST, complemented by comprehensive online documentation and tutorials for using DOLPHOT with JWST imaging data. △ Less

Submitted 5 February, 2024; originally announced February 2024.

Comments: 30 pages, 17 figures. Accepted to ApJS. Data products to be hosted on MAST. For DOLPHOT/JWST tutorials, see https://dolphot-jwst.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ . For more program and DOLPHOT info, see https://ers-stars.github.io

JWST Observations of Starbursts: Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Emission at the Base of the M 82 Galactic Wind

Authors: Alberto D. Bolatto, Rebecca C. Levy, Elizabeth Tarantino, Martha L. Boyer, Deanne B. Fisher, Adam K. Leroy, Serena A. Cronin, Ralf S. Klessen, J. D. Smith, Dannielle A. Berg, Torsten Boeker, Leindert A. Boogaard, Eve C. Ostriker, Todd A. Thompson, Juergen Ott, Laura Lenkic, Laura A. Lopez, Daniel A. Dale, Sylvain Veilleux, Paul P. van der Werf, Simon C. O. Glover, Karin M. Sandstrom, Evan D. Skillman, John Chisholm, Vicente Villanueva , et al. (15 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present new observations of the central 1 kpc of the M 82 starburst obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) near-infrared camera (NIRCam) instrument at a resolution ~0.05"-0.1" (~1-2 pc). The data comprises images in three mostly continuum filters (F140M, F250M, and F360M), and filters that contain [FeII] (F164N), H2 v=1-0 (F212N), and the 3.3 um PAH feature (F335M). We find promine… ▽ More We present new observations of the central 1 kpc of the M 82 starburst obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) near-infrared camera (NIRCam) instrument at a resolution ~0.05"-0.1" (~1-2 pc). The data comprises images in three mostly continuum filters (F140M, F250M, and F360M), and filters that contain [FeII] (F164N), H2 v=1-0 (F212N), and the 3.3 um PAH feature (F335M). We find prominent plumes of PAH emission extending outward from the central starburst region, together with a network of complex filamentary substructure and edge-brightened bubble-like features. The structure of the PAH emission closely resembles that of the ionized gas, as revealed in Paschen alpha and free-free radio emission. We discuss the origin of the structure, and suggest the PAHs are embedded in a combination of neutral, molecular, and photoionized gas. △ Less

Submitted 21 April, 2024; v1 submitted 29 January, 2024; originally announced January 2024.

Comments: Submitted to The Astrophysical Journal

The JWST Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science Program VI. Identifying Evolved Stars in Nearby Galaxies

Authors: Martha L. Boyer, Giada Pastorelli, Léo Girardi, Paola Marigo, Andrew E. Dolphin, Kristen B. W. McQuinn, Max J. B. Newman, Alessandro Savino, Daniel R. Weisz, Benjamin F. Williams, Jay Anderson, Roger E. Cohen, Matteo Correnti, Andrew A. Cole, Marla C. Geha, Mario Gennaro, Nitya Kallivayalil, Evan N. Kirby, Karin M. Sandstrom, Evan D. Skillman, Christopher T. Garling, Hannah Richstein, Jack T. Warfield

Abstract: We present an investigation of evolved stars in the nearby star-forming galaxy WLM, using NIRCam imaging from the JWST resolved stellar populations early-release science (ERS) program. We find that various combinations of the F090W, F150W, F250M, and F430M filters can effectively isolate red supergiants (RSGs) and thermally-pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars from one another, while als… ▽ More We present an investigation of evolved stars in the nearby star-forming galaxy WLM, using NIRCam imaging from the JWST resolved stellar populations early-release science (ERS) program. We find that various combinations of the F090W, F150W, F250M, and F430M filters can effectively isolate red supergiants (RSGs) and thermally-pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) stars from one another, while also providing a reasonable separation of the primary TP-AGB subtypes: carbon-rich C-type stars and oxygen-rich M-type stars. The classification scheme we present here agrees very well with the well-established Hubble Space Telescope (HST) medium-band filter technique. The ratio of C to M-type stars (C/M) is 0.8$\pm$0.1 for both the new JWST and the HST classifications, which is within one sigma of empirical predictions from optical narrow-band CN and TiO filters. The evolved star colors show good agreement with the predictions from the PARSEC$+$COLIBRI stellar evolutionary models, and the models indicate a strong metallicity dependence that makes stellar identification even more effective at higher metallicity. However, the models also indicate that evolved star identification with NIRCam may be more difficult at lower metallicies. We test every combination of NIRCam filters using the models and present additional filters that are also useful for evolved star studies. We also find that $\approx$90\% of the dusty evolved stars are carbon-rich, suggesting that carbonaceous dust dominates the present-day dust production in WLM, similar to the findings in the Magellanic Clouds. These results demonstrate the usefulness of NIRCam in identifying and classifying dust-producing stars without the need for mid-infrared data. △ Less

Submitted 26 January, 2024; originally announced January 2024.

Comments: 15 page, 12 figures, submitted to AAS Journals

The JWST Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science Program IV: The Star Formation History of the Local Group Galaxy WLM

Authors: Kristen. B. W. McQuinn, Max J. B. Newman, Alessandro Savino, Andrew E. Dolphin, Daniel R. Weisz, Benjamin F. Williams, Martha L. Boyer, Roger E. Cohen, Matteo Correnti, Andrew A. Cole, Marla C. Geha, Mario Gennaro, Nitya Kallivayalil, Karin M. Sandstrom, Evan D. Skillman, Jay Anderson, Alberto Bolatto, Michael Boylan-Kolchin, Christopher T. Garling, Karoline M. Gilbert, Leo Girardi, Jason S. Kalirai, Alessandro Mazzi, Giada Pastorelli, Hannah Richstein , et al. (1 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present the first star formation history (SFH) and age-metallicity relation (AMR) derived from resolved stellar populations imaged with the JWST NIRCam instrument. The target is the Local Group star-forming galaxy WLM at 970 kpc. The depth of the color-magnitude diagram (CMD) reaches below the oldest main sequence turn-off with a SNR=10 at M_F090W=+4.6 mag; this is the deepest CMD for any galax… ▽ More We present the first star formation history (SFH) and age-metallicity relation (AMR) derived from resolved stellar populations imaged with the JWST NIRCam instrument. The target is the Local Group star-forming galaxy WLM at 970 kpc. The depth of the color-magnitude diagram (CMD) reaches below the oldest main sequence turn-off with a SNR=10 at M_F090W=+4.6 mag; this is the deepest CMD for any galaxy that is not a satellite of the Milky Way. We use Hubble Space Telescope (HST) optical imaging that overlaps with the NIRCam observations to directly evaluate the SFHs derived based on data from the two great observatories. The JWST and HST-based SFHs are in excellent agreement. We use the metallicity distribution function measured from stellar spectra to confirm the trends in the AMRs based on the JWST data. Together, these results confirm the efficacy of recovering a SFH and AMR with the NIRCam F090W-F150W filter combination and provide validation of the sensitivity and accuracy of stellar evolution libraries in the near-infrared relative to the optical for SFH recovery work. From the JWST data, WLM shows an early onset to star formation, followed by an extended pause post-reionization before star formation re-ignites, which is qualitatively similar to what has been observed in the isolated galaxies Leo~A and Aquarius. Quantitatively, 15% of the stellar mass formed in the first Gyr, while only 10% formed over the next ~5 Gyr; the stellar mass then rapidly doubled in ~2.5 Gyr, followed by constant star formation over the last ~5 Gyr. △ Less

Submitted 5 December, 2023; originally announced December 2023.

Comments: 27 pages, 10 figures, 1 table

JWST MIRI and NIRCam Unveil Previously Unseen Infrared Stellar Populations in NGC 6822

Authors: Conor Nally, Olivia C. Jones, Laura Lenkić, Nolan Habel, Alec S. Hirschauer, Margaret Meixner, P. J. Kavanagh, Martha L. Boyer, Annette M. N. Ferguson, B. A. Sargent, Omnarayani Nayak, Tea Temim

Abstract: NGC 6822 is a nearby (~490 kpc) non-interacting low-metallicity (0.2 Zsolar) dwarf galaxy which hosts several prominent H ii regions, including sites of highly embedded active star formation. In this work, we present an imaging survey of NGC 6822 conducted with the NIRCam and MIRI instruments onboard JWST. We describe the data reduction, source extraction, and stellar population identifications fr… ▽ More NGC 6822 is a nearby (~490 kpc) non-interacting low-metallicity (0.2 Zsolar) dwarf galaxy which hosts several prominent H ii regions, including sites of highly embedded active star formation. In this work, we present an imaging survey of NGC 6822 conducted with the NIRCam and MIRI instruments onboard JWST. We describe the data reduction, source extraction, and stellar population identifications from combined near- and mid-infrared (IR) photometry. Our NIRCam observations reach seven magnitudes deeper than previous JHKs surveys of this galaxy, which were sensitive to just below the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB). These JWST observations thus reveal for the first time in the near-IR the red clump stellar population and extend nearly three magnitudes deeper. In the mid-IR, we observe roughly two magnitudes below the TRGB with the MIRI F770W and F1000W filters. With these improvements in sensitivity, we produce a catalogue of ~900,000 point sources over an area of ~ 6.0 x 4.3 arcmin2. We present several NIRCam and MIRI colour-magnitude diagrams and discuss which colour combinations provide useful separations of various stellar populations to aid in future JWST observation planning. Finally, we find populations of carbon- and oxygen-rich asymptotic giant branch stars which will assist in improving our understanding of dust production in low-metallicity, early Universe analogue galaxies △ Less

Submitted 29 April, 2024; v1 submitted 23 September, 2023; originally announced September 2023.

Comments: 17 pages, 8 figures, 7 tables, accepted MNRAS

JWST NIRCam Observations of SN 1987A: Spitzer Comparison and Spectral Decomposition

Authors: Richard G. Arendt, Martha L. Boyer, Eli Dwek, Mikako Matsuura, Aravind P. Ravi, Armin Rest, Roger Chevalier, Phil Cigan, Ilse De Looze, Guido De Marchi, Claes Fransson, Christa Gall, R. D. Gehrz, Haley L. Gomez, Tuomas Kangas, Florian Kirchschlager, Robert P. Kirshner, Josefin Larsson, Peter Lundqvist, Dan Milisavljevic, Sangwook Park, Nathan Smith, Jason Spyromilio, Tea Temim, Lifan Wang , et al. (2 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: JWST NIRCam observations at 1.5-4.5 $μ$m have provided broad and narrow band imaging of the evolving remnant of SN 1987A with unparalleled sensitivity and spatial resolution. Comparing with previous marginally spatially resolved Spitzer IRAC observations from 2004-2019 confirms that the emission arises from the circumstellar equatorial ring (ER), and the current brightness at 3.6 and 4.5 $μ$m was… ▽ More JWST NIRCam observations at 1.5-4.5 $μ$m have provided broad and narrow band imaging of the evolving remnant of SN 1987A with unparalleled sensitivity and spatial resolution. Comparing with previous marginally spatially resolved Spitzer IRAC observations from 2004-2019 confirms that the emission arises from the circumstellar equatorial ring (ER), and the current brightness at 3.6 and 4.5 $μ$m was accurately predicted by extrapolation of the declining brightness tracked by IRAC. Despite the regular light curve, the NIRCam observations clearly reveal that much of this emission is from a newly developing outer portion of the ER. Spots in the outer ER tend to lie at position angles in between the well-known ER hotspots. We show that the bulk of the emission in the field can be represented by 5 standard spectral energy distributions (SEDs), each with a distinct origin and spatial distribution. This spectral decomposition provides a powerful technique for distinguishing overlapping emission from the circumstellar medium (CSM) and the supernova (SN) ejecta, excited by the forward and reverse shocks respectively. △ Less

Submitted 22 September, 2023; originally announced September 2023.

Comments: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 16 pages, 12 figures. 2 animations not included here

Methane Throughout the Atmosphere of the Warm Exoplanet WASP-80b

Authors: Taylor J. Bell, Luis Welbanks, Everett Schlawin, Michael R. Line, Jonathan J. Fortney, Thomas P. Greene, Kazumasa Ohno, Vivien Parmentier, Emily Rauscher, Thomas G. Beatty, Sagnick Mukherjee, Lindsey S. Wiser, Martha L. Boyer, Marcia J. Rieke, John A. Stansberry

Abstract: The abundances of major carbon and oxygen bearing gases in the atmospheres of giant exoplanets provide insights into atmospheric chemistry and planet formation processes. Thermochemistry suggests that methane should be the dominant carbon-bearing species below $\sim$1000 K over a range of plausible atmospheric compositions; this is the case for the Solar System planets and has been confirmed in th… ▽ More The abundances of major carbon and oxygen bearing gases in the atmospheres of giant exoplanets provide insights into atmospheric chemistry and planet formation processes. Thermochemistry suggests that methane should be the dominant carbon-bearing species below $\sim$1000 K over a range of plausible atmospheric compositions; this is the case for the Solar System planets and has been confirmed in the atmospheres of brown dwarfs and self-luminous directly imaged exoplanets. However, methane has not yet been definitively detected with space-based spectroscopy in the atmosphere of a transiting exoplanet, but a few detections have been made with ground-based, high-resolution transit spectroscopy including a tentative detection for WASP-80b. Here we report transmission and emission spectra spanning 2.4-4.0 micrometers of the 825 K warm Jupiter WASP-80b taken with JWST's NIRCam instrument, both of which show strong evidence for methane at greater than 6-sigma significance. The derived methane abundances from both viewing geometries are consistent with each other and with solar to sub-solar C/O and ~5$\times$ solar metallicity, which is consistent with theoretical predictions. △ Less

Submitted 7 September, 2023; originally announced September 2023.

Comments: 23 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables. This preprint has been submitted to and accepted in principle for publication in Nature without significant changes

A JWST/MIRI and NIRCam Analysis of the Young Stellar Object Population in the Spitzer I region of NGC 6822

Authors: Laura Lenkić, Conor Nally, Olivia C. Jones, Martha L. Boyer, Patrick J. Kavanagh, Nolan Habel, Omnayarani Nayak, Alec S. Hirschauer, Margaret Meixner, B. A. Sargent, Tea Temim

Abstract: We present an imaging survey of the Spitzer I star-forming region in NGC 6822 conducted with the NIRCam and MIRI instruments onboard JWST. Located at a distance of 490 kpc, NGC 6822 is the nearest non-interacting low-metallicity ($\sim$0.2 $Z_{\odot}$) dwarf galaxy. It hosts some of the brightest known HII regions in the local universe, including recently discovered sites of highly-embedded active… ▽ More We present an imaging survey of the Spitzer I star-forming region in NGC 6822 conducted with the NIRCam and MIRI instruments onboard JWST. Located at a distance of 490 kpc, NGC 6822 is the nearest non-interacting low-metallicity ($\sim$0.2 $Z_{\odot}$) dwarf galaxy. It hosts some of the brightest known HII regions in the local universe, including recently discovered sites of highly-embedded active star formation. Of these, Spitzer I is the youngest and most active, and houses 90 color-selected candidate young stellar objects (YSOs) identified from Spitzer Space Telescope observations. We revisit the YSO population of Spitzer I with these new JWST observations. By analyzing color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) constructed with NIRCam and MIRI data, we establish color selection criteria and construct spectral energy distributions (SEDs) to identify candidate YSOs and characterize the full population of young stars, from the most embedded phase to the more evolved stages. In this way, we have identified 140 YSOs in Spitzer I. Comparing to previous Spitzer studies of the NGC 6822 YSO population, we find that the YSOs we identify are fainter and less massive, indicating that the improved resolution of JWST allows us to resolve previously blended sources into multiple objects. △ Less

Submitted 13 June, 2024; v1 submitted 28 July, 2023; originally announced July 2023.

Comments: 17 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, ApJ accepted

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Authors: Jonathan P. Gardner, John C. Mather, Randy Abbott, James S. Abell, Mark Abernathy, Faith E. Abney, John G. Abraham, Roberto Abraham, Yasin M. Abul-Huda, Scott Acton, Cynthia K. Adams, Evan Adams, David S. Adler, Maarten Adriaensen, Jonathan Albert Aguilar, Mansoor Ahmed, Nasif S. Ahmed, Tanjira Ahmed, Rüdeger Albat, Loïc Albert, Stacey Alberts, David Aldridge, Mary Marsha Allen, Shaune S. Allen, Martin Altenburg , et al. (983 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astrono… ▽ More Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit. △ Less

Submitted 10 April, 2023; originally announced April 2023.

Comments: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figures

JWST Observations of the Enigmatic Y Dwarf WISE 1828+2650: I. Limits to a Binary Companion

Authors: Matthew De Furio, Ben W. Lew, Charles A. Beichman, Thomas Roellig, Geoffrey Bryden, David R. Ciardi, Michael R. Meyer, Marcia J. Rieke, Alexandra Z. Greenbaum, Jarron Leisenring, Jorge Llop-Sayson, Marie Ygouf, Loïc Albert, Martha L. Boyer, Daniel J. Eisenstein, Klaus W. Hodapp, Scott Horner, Doug Johnstone, Douglas M. Kelly, Karl A. Misselt, George H. Rieke, John A. Stansberry, Erick T. Young

Abstract: The Y-dwarf WISE 1828+2650 is one of the coldest known Brown Dwarfs with an effective temperature of $\sim$300 K. Located at a distance of just 10 pc, previous model-based estimates suggest WISE1828+2650 has a mass of $\sim$5-10 Mj, making it a valuable laboratory for understanding the formation, evolution and physical characteristics of gas giant planets. However, previous photometry and spectros… ▽ More The Y-dwarf WISE 1828+2650 is one of the coldest known Brown Dwarfs with an effective temperature of $\sim$300 K. Located at a distance of just 10 pc, previous model-based estimates suggest WISE1828+2650 has a mass of $\sim$5-10 Mj, making it a valuable laboratory for understanding the formation, evolution and physical characteristics of gas giant planets. However, previous photometry and spectroscopy have presented a puzzle with the near-impossibility of simultaneously fitting both the short (0.9-2.0 microns) and long wavelength (3-5 microns) data. A potential solution to this problem has been the suggestion that WISE 1828+2650 is a binary system whose composite spectrum might provide a better match to the data. Alternatively, new models being developed to fit JWST/NIRSpec and MIRI spectroscopy might provide new insights. This article describes JWST/NIRCam observations of WISE 1828+2650 in 6 filters to address the binarity question and to provide new photometry to be used in model fitting. We also report Adaptive Optics imaging with the Keck 10 m telescope. We find no evidence for multiplicity for a companion beyond 0.5 AU with either JWST or Keck. Companion articles will present low and high resolution spectra of WISE 1828+2650 obtained with both NIRSpec and MIRI. △ Less

Submitted 24 February, 2023; originally announced February 2023.

Comments: 15 pages, 9 figures, Accepted by ApJ on Feb. 21 2023

Hubble Space Telescope imaging of the compact elliptical galaxy M32 reveals a dearth of carbon stars

Authors: O. C. Jones, M. L. Boyer, I. McDonald, M. Meixner, J. Th. van Loon

Abstract: We present new Hubble Space Telescope WFC3/IR medium-band photometry of the compact elliptical galaxy M32, chemically resolving its thermally pulsating asymptotic giant branch stars. We find 2829 M-type stars and 57 C stars. The carbon stars are likely contaminants from M31. If carbon stars are present in M32 they are so in very low numbers. The uncorrected C/M ratio is 0.020 $\pm$ 0.003; this dro… ▽ More We present new Hubble Space Telescope WFC3/IR medium-band photometry of the compact elliptical galaxy M32, chemically resolving its thermally pulsating asymptotic giant branch stars. We find 2829 M-type stars and 57 C stars. The carbon stars are likely contaminants from M31. If carbon stars are present in M32 they are so in very low numbers. The uncorrected C/M ratio is 0.020 $\pm$ 0.003; this drops to less than 0.007 after taking into account contamination from M31. As the mean metallicity of M32 is just below solar, this low ratio of C to M stars is unlikely due to a metallicity ceiling for the formation of carbon stars. Instead, the age of the AGB population is likely to be the primary factor. The ratio of AGB to RGB stars in M32 is similar to that of the inner disc of M31 which contain stars that formed 1.5-4 Gyr ago. If the M32 population is at the older end of this age then its lack of C-stars may be consistent with a narrow mass range for carbon star formation predicted by some stellar evolution models. Applying our chemical classifications to the dusty variable stars identified with {\em Spitzer}, we find that the x-AGB candidates identified with Spitzer are predominately M-type stars. This substantially increases the lower limit to the cumulative dust-production rate in M32 to $>$ 1.20 $\times 10^{-5}$ ${\rm M}_{\odot} \, {\rm yr}^{-1}$. △ Less

Submitted 11 August, 2023; v1 submitted 25 January, 2023; originally announced January 2023.

Comments: 10 pages, 7 figures, accepted MNRAS

The JWST Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science Program III: Photometric Star-Galaxy Separations for NIRCam

Authors: Jack T. Warfield, Hannah Richstein, Nitya Kallivayalil, Roger E. Cohen, Alessandro Savino, Martha L. Boyer, Christopher T. Garling, Mario Gennaro, Kristen B. W. McQuinn, Max J. B. Newman, Jay Anderson, Andrew A. Cole, Matteo Correnti, Andrew E. Dolphin, Marla C. Geha, Karin M. Sandstrom, Daniel R. Weisz, Benjamin F. Williams

Abstract: We present criteria for separately classifying stars and unresolved background galaxies in photometric catalogs generated with the point spread function (PSF) fitting photometry software DOLPHOT from images taken of Draco II, WLM, and M92 with the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) on JWST. Photometric quality metrics from DOLPHOT in one or two filters can recover a pure sample of stars. Conversely, co… ▽ More We present criteria for separately classifying stars and unresolved background galaxies in photometric catalogs generated with the point spread function (PSF) fitting photometry software DOLPHOT from images taken of Draco II, WLM, and M92 with the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) on JWST. Photometric quality metrics from DOLPHOT in one or two filters can recover a pure sample of stars. Conversely, colors formed between short-wavelength (SW) and long-wavelength (LW) filters can be used to effectively identify pure samples of galaxies. Our results highlight that the existing DOLPHOT output parameters can be used to reliably classify stars in our NIRCam data without the need to resort to external tools or more complex heuristics. △ Less

Submitted 17 January, 2023; originally announced January 2023.

Comments: 5 pages, 1 figure

The JWST Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science Program II. Survey Overview

Authors: Daniel R. Weisz, Kristen B. W. McQuinn, Alessandro Savino, Nitya Kallivayalil, Jay Anderson, Martha L. Boyer, Matteo Correnti, Marla C. Geha, Andrew E. Dolphin, Karin M. Sandstrom, Andrew A. Cole, Benjamin F. Williams, Evan D. Skillman, Roger E. Cohen, Max J. B. Newman, Rachael Beaton, Alessandro Bressan, Alberto Bolatto, Michael Boylan-Kolchin, Alyson M. Brooks, James S. Bullock, Charlie Conroy, M. C. Cooper, Julianne J. Dalcanton, Aaron L. Dotter , et al. (17 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present the JWST Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science (ERS) science program. We obtained 27.5 hours of NIRCam and NIRISS imaging of three targets in the Local Group (Milky Way globular cluster M92, ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Draco II, star-forming dwarf galaxy WLM), which span factors of $\sim10^5$ in luminosity, $\sim10^4$ in distance, and $\sim10^5$ in surface brightness. We descr… ▽ More We present the JWST Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science (ERS) science program. We obtained 27.5 hours of NIRCam and NIRISS imaging of three targets in the Local Group (Milky Way globular cluster M92, ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Draco II, star-forming dwarf galaxy WLM), which span factors of $\sim10^5$ in luminosity, $\sim10^4$ in distance, and $\sim10^5$ in surface brightness. We describe the survey strategy, scientific and technical goals, implementation details, present select NIRCam color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs), and validate the NIRCam exposure time calculator (ETC). Our CMDs are among the deepest in existence for each class of target. They touch the theoretical hydrogen burning limit in M92 ($<0.08$ $M_{\odot}$; SNR $\sim5$ at $m_{F090W}\sim28.2$; $M_{F090W}\sim+13.6$), include the lowest-mass stars observed outside the Milky Way in Draco II (0.09 $M_{\odot}$; SNR $=10$ at $m_{F090W}\sim29$; $M_{F090W}\sim+12.1$), and reach $\sim1.5$ magnitudes below the oldest main sequence turnoff in WLM (SNR $=10$ at $m_{F090W}\sim29.5$; $M_{F090W}\sim+4.6$). The PARSEC stellar models provide a good qualitative match to the NIRCam CMDs, though are $\sim0.05$ mag too blue compared to M92 F090W$-$F150W data. The NIRCam ETC (v2.0) matches the SNRs based on photon noise from DOLPHOT stellar photometry in uncrowded fields, but the ETC may not be accurate in more crowded fields, similar to what is known for HST. We release beta versions of DOLPHOT NIRCam and NIRISS modules to the community. Results from this ERS program will establish JWST as the premier instrument for resolved stellar populations studies for decades to come. △ Less

Submitted 11 January, 2023; originally announced January 2023.

Comments: 23 pages, 7 Figures, 3 Tables. Submitted to AAS Journals. Comments welcome

The JWST Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science Program I.: NIRCam Flux Calibration

Authors: Martha L. Boyer, Jay Anderson, Mario Gennaro, Marla Geha, Kristen B. Wingfield McQuinn, Erik Tollerud, Matteo Correnti, Max J. Brenner Newman, Roger E. Cohen, Nitya Kallivayalil, Rachel Beaton, Andrew A. Cole, Andrew Dolphin, Jason S. Kalirai, Karin M. Sandstrom, Alessandro Savino, Evan D. Skillman, Daniel R. Weisz, Benjamin F. Williams

Abstract: We use globular cluster data from the Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science (ERS) program to validate the flux calibration for the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We find a significant flux offset between the eight short wavelength detectors, ranging from 1-23% (about 0.01-0.2 mag) that affects all NIRCam imaging observations. We deliver improve… ▽ More We use globular cluster data from the Resolved Stellar Populations Early Release Science (ERS) program to validate the flux calibration for the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We find a significant flux offset between the eight short wavelength detectors, ranging from 1-23% (about 0.01-0.2 mag) that affects all NIRCam imaging observations. We deliver improved zeropoints for the ERS filters and show that alternate zeropoints derived by the community also improve the calibration significantly. We also find that the detector offsets appear to be time variable by up to at least 0.1 mag. △ Less

Submitted 6 September, 2022; originally announced September 2022.

Comments: Accepted for publication in RNAAS

SRGA J181414.6-225604: A new Galactic symbiotic X-ray binary outburst triggered by an intense mass loss episode of a heavily obscured Mira variable

Authors: Kishalay De, Ilya Mereminskiy, Roberto Soria, Charlie Conroy, Erin Kara, Shreya Anand, Michael C. B. Ashley, Martha L. Boyer, Deepto Chakrabarty, Brian Grefenstette, Matthew J. Hankins, Lynne A. Hillenbrand, Jacob E. Jencson, Viraj Karambelkar, Mansi M. Kasliwal, Ryan M. Lau, Alexander Lutovinov, Anna M. Moore, Mason Ng, Christos Panagiotou, Dheeraj R. Pasham, Andrey Semena, Robert Simcoe, Jamie Soon, Gokul P. Srinivasaragavan , et al. (2 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: We present the discovery and multi-wavelength characterization of SRGA J181414.6-225604, a Galactic hard X-ray transient discovered during the ongoing SRG/ART-XC sky survey. Using data from the Palomar Gattini-IR survey, we identify a spatially and temporally coincident variable infrared (IR) source, IRAS 18111-2257, and classify it as a very late-type (M7-M8), long period ($1502 \pm 24$ days) and… ▽ More We present the discovery and multi-wavelength characterization of SRGA J181414.6-225604, a Galactic hard X-ray transient discovered during the ongoing SRG/ART-XC sky survey. Using data from the Palomar Gattini-IR survey, we identify a spatially and temporally coincident variable infrared (IR) source, IRAS 18111-2257, and classify it as a very late-type (M7-M8), long period ($1502 \pm 24$ days) and luminous ($M_K\approx -9.9 \pm 0.2$) O-rich Mira donor star located at a distance of $\approx 14.6^{+2.9}_{-2.3}$ kpc. Combining multi-color photometric data over the last $\approx 25$ years, we show that the IR counterpart underwent a recent (starting $\approx 800$ days before the X-ray flare) enhanced mass loss (reaching $\approx 2.1 \times 10^{-5}$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$) episode resulting in an expanding dust shell obscuring the underlying star. Multi-epoch follow-up from Swift, NICER and NuSTAR reveal a $\approx 200$ day long X-ray outburst reaching a peak luminosity of $L_X \approx 2.5 \times 10^{36}$ erg s$^{-1}$, characterized by a heavily absorbed ($N_{\rm H} \approx 6\times 10^{22}$ cm$^{-2}$) X-ray spectrum consistent with an optically thick Comptonized plasma. The X-ray spectral and timing behavior suggest the presence of clumpy wind accretion together with a dense ionized nebula overabundant in silicate material surrounding the compact object. Together, we show that SRGA J181414.6-225604 is a new symbiotic X-ray binary in outburst, triggered by an intense dust formation episode of a highly evolved donor. Our results offer the first direct confirmation for the speculated connection between enhanced late-stage donor mass loss and active lifetimes of the symbiotic X-ray binaries. △ Less

Submitted 18 May, 2022; originally announced May 2022.

Comments: 32 pages, 15 figures, Accepted for publication in ApJ

A Census of Thermally-Pulsing AGB stars in the Andromeda Galaxy and a First Estimate of their Contribution to the Global Dust Budget

Authors: Steven R. Goldman, Martha L. Boyer, Julianne Dalcanton, Iain McDonald, Leo Girardi, Benjamin F. Williams, Sundar Srinivasan, Karl Gordon

Abstract: We present a near-complete catalog of the metal-rich population of Thermally-Pulsing Asymptotic Giant Branch stars in the northwest quadrant of M31. This metal-rich sample complements the equally complete metal-poor Magellanic Cloud AGB catalogs produced by the SAGE program. Our catalog includes HST wide-band photometry from the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury survey, HST medium-band photom… ▽ More We present a near-complete catalog of the metal-rich population of Thermally-Pulsing Asymptotic Giant Branch stars in the northwest quadrant of M31. This metal-rich sample complements the equally complete metal-poor Magellanic Cloud AGB catalogs produced by the SAGE program. Our catalog includes HST wide-band photometry from the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury survey, HST medium-band photometry used to chemically classify a subset of the sample, and Spitzer mid- and far-IR photometry that we have used to isolate dust-producing AGB stars. We have detected 346,623 AGB stars; these include 4,802 AGB candidates producing considerable dust, and 1,356 AGB candidates that lie within clusters with measured ages, and in some cases metallicities. Using the Spitzer data and chemical classifications made with the medium-band data, we have identified both carbon- and oxygen-rich AGB candidates producing significant dust. We have applied color--mass-loss relations based on dusty AGB stars from the LMC to estimate the dust injection by AGB stars in the PHAT footprint. Applying our color relations to a subset of the chemically-classified stars producing the bulk of the dust, we find that ~97.8% of the dust is oxygen-rich. Using several scenarios for the dust lifetime, we have estimated the contribution of AGB stars to the global dust budget of M31 to be 0.9-35.5%, which is in line with previous estimates in the Magellanic Clouds. Follow-up observations of the M31 AGB candidates with the JWST will allow us to further constrain stellar and chemical evolutionary models, and the feedback and dust production of metal-rich evolved stars. △ Less

Submitted 28 December, 2021; originally announced December 2021.

Comments: Accepted for publication in ApJS. 35 pages, 25 Figures

The Nearby Evolved Stars Survey II: Constructing a volume-limited sample and first results from the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope

Authors: P. Scicluna, F. Kemper, I. McDonald, S. Srinivasan, A. Trejo, S. H. J. Wallström, J. G. A. Wouterloot, J. Cami, J. Greaves, Jinhua He, D. T. Hoai, Hyosun Kim, O. C. Jones, H. Shinnaga, C. J. R. Clark, T. Dharmawardena, W. Holland, H. Imai, J. Th. van Loon, K. M. Menten, R. Wesson, H. Chawner, S. Feng, S. Goldman, F. C. Liu , et al. (67 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: The Nearby Evolved Stars Survey (NESS) is a volume-complete sample of $\sim$850 Galactic evolved stars within 3\,kpc at (sub-)mm wavelengths, observed in the CO $J = $ (2$-$1) and (3$-$2) rotational lines, and the sub-mm continuum, using the James Clark Maxwell Telescope and Atacama Pathfinder Experiment. NESS consists of five tiers, based on distances and dust-production rate (DPR). We define a n… ▽ More The Nearby Evolved Stars Survey (NESS) is a volume-complete sample of $\sim$850 Galactic evolved stars within 3\,kpc at (sub-)mm wavelengths, observed in the CO $J = $ (2$-$1) and (3$-$2) rotational lines, and the sub-mm continuum, using the James Clark Maxwell Telescope and Atacama Pathfinder Experiment. NESS consists of five tiers, based on distances and dust-production rate (DPR). We define a new metric for estimating the distances to evolved stars and compare its results to \emph{Gaia} EDR3. Replicating other studies, the most-evolved, highly enshrouded objects in the Galactic Plane dominate the dust returned by our sources, and we initially estimate a total DPR of $4.7\times 10^{-5}$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ from our sample. Our sub-mm fluxes are systematically higher and spectral indices are typically shallower than dust models typically predict. The 450/850 $μ$m spectral indices are consistent with the blackbody Rayleigh--Jeans regime, suggesting a large fraction of evolved stars have unexpectedly large envelopes of cold dust. △ Less

Submitted 24 October, 2021; originally announced October 2021.

Comments: 20 pages, 13 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publications in MNRAS

Infrared variable stars in the compact elliptical galaxy M32

Authors: O. C. Jones, C. Nally, M. J. Sharp, I. McDonald, M. L. Boyer, M. Meixner, F. Kemper, A. M. N. Ferguson, S. R. Goldman, R. M. Rich

Abstract: Variable stars in the compact elliptical galaxy M32 are identified, using three epochs of photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope at 3.6 and 4.5 $μ$m, separated by 32 to 381 days. We present a high-fidelity catalogue of sources detected in multiple epochs at both 3.6 and 4.5 $μ$m, which we analysed for stellar variability using a joint probability error-weighted flux difference. Of these, 83 s… ▽ More Variable stars in the compact elliptical galaxy M32 are identified, using three epochs of photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope at 3.6 and 4.5 $μ$m, separated by 32 to 381 days. We present a high-fidelity catalogue of sources detected in multiple epochs at both 3.6 and 4.5 $μ$m, which we analysed for stellar variability using a joint probability error-weighted flux difference. Of these, 83 stars are identified as candidate large-amplitude, long-period variables, with 28 considered high-confidence variables. The majority of the variable stars are classified as asymptotic giant branch star candidates using colour-magnitude diagrams. We find no evidence supporting a younger, infrared-bright stellar population in our M32 field. △ Less

Submitted 29 March, 2021; originally announced March 2021.

Comments: 11 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

AT 2019qyl in NGC 300: Internal Collisions in the Early Outflow from a Very Fast Nova in a Symbiotic Binary

Authors: Jacob E. Jencson, Jennifer E. Andrews, Howard E. Bond, Viraj Karambelkar, David J. Sand, Schuyler D. van Dyk, Nadejda Blagorodnova, Martha L. Boyer, Mansi M. Kasliwal, Ryan M. Lau, Shazrene Mohamed, Robert Williams, Patricia A. Whitelock, Rachael C. Amaro, K. Azalee Bostroem, Yize Dong, Michael J. Lundquist, Stefano Valenti, Samuel D. Wyatt, Jamie Burke, Kishalay De, Saurabh W. Jha, Joel Johansson, César Rojas-Bravo, David A. Coulter , et al. (17 additional authors not shown)

Abstract: Nova eruptions, thermonuclear explosions on the surfaces of white dwarfs (WDs), are now recognized to be among the most common shock-powered astrophysical transients. We present the early discovery and rapid ultraviolet (UV), optical, and infrared (IR) temporal development of AT 2019qyl, a recent nova in the nearby Sculptor Group galaxy NGC 300. The light curve shows a rapid rise lasting… ▽ More Nova eruptions, thermonuclear explosions on the surfaces of white dwarfs (WDs), are now recognized to be among the most common shock-powered astrophysical transients. We present the early discovery and rapid ultraviolet (UV), optical, and infrared (IR) temporal development of AT 2019qyl, a recent nova in the nearby Sculptor Group galaxy NGC 300. The light curve shows a rapid rise lasting $\lesssim 1$ day, reaching a peak absolute magnitude of $M_V = -9.2$ mag, and a very fast decline, fading by 2 mag over 3.5 days. A steep dropoff in the light curves after 71 days and the rapid decline timescale suggest a low-mass ejection from a massive WD with $M_{\rm WD} \gtrsim 1.2~M_{\odot}$. We present an unprecedented view of the early spectroscopic evolution of such an event. Three spectra prior to the peak reveal a complex, multicomponent outflow giving rise to internal collisions and shocks in the ejecta of an He/N-class nova. We identify a coincident IR-variable counterpart in the extensive preeruption coverage of the transient location and infer the presence of a symbiotic progenitor system with an O-rich asymptotic-giant-branch donor star, as well as evidence for an earlier UV-bright outburst in 2014. We suggest that AT 2019qyl is analogous to the subset of Galactic recurrent novae with red-giant companions such as RS Oph and other embedded nova systems like V407 Cyg. Our observations provide new evidence that internal shocks between multiple, distinct outflow components likely contribute to the generation of the shock-powered emission from such systems. △ Less

Submitted 5 September, 2021; v1 submitted 22 February, 2021; originally announced February 2021.

Comments: 32 pages, 10 figures, accepted in ApJ

Constraining the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch phase with resolved stellar populations in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Authors: Giada Pastorelli, Paola Marigo, Léo Girardi, Bernhard Aringer, Yang Chen, Stefano Rubele, Michele Trabucchi, Sara Bladh, Martha L. Boyer, Alessandro Bressan, Julianne J. Dalcanton, Martin A. T. Groenewegen, Thomas Lebzelter, Nami Mowlavi, Katy L. Chubb, Maria-Rosa L. Cioni, Richard de Grijs, Valentin D. Ivanov, Ambra Nanni, Jacco Th. van Loon, Simone Zaggia

Abstract: Reliable models of the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) phase are of critical importance across astrophysics, including our interpretation of the spectral energy distribution of galaxies, cosmic dust production, and enrichment of the interstellar medium. With the aim of improving sets of stellar isochrones that include a detailed description of the TP-AGB phase, we extend our rec… ▽ More Reliable models of the thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch (TP-AGB) phase are of critical importance across astrophysics, including our interpretation of the spectral energy distribution of galaxies, cosmic dust production, and enrichment of the interstellar medium. With the aim of improving sets of stellar isochrones that include a detailed description of the TP-AGB phase, we extend our recent calibration of the AGB population in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) to the more metal rich Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We model the LMC stellar populations with the TRILEGAL code, using the spatially-resolved star formation history derived from the VISTA survey. We characterize the efficiency of the third dredge-up by matching the star counts and the $K_{\rm s}$-band luminosity functions of the AGB stars identified in the LMC. In line with previous findings, we confirm that, compared to the SMC, the third dredge-up in AGB stars of the LMC is somewhat less efficient, as a consequence of the higher metallicity. The predicted range of initial mass of C-rich stars is between $M_{\rm i} \approx 1.7 - 3~\mathrm{M}_{\odot}$ at $Z_{\rm i} = 0.008$. We show how the inclusion of new opacity data in the carbon star spectra will improve the performance of our models. We discuss the predicted lifetimes, integrated luminosities and mass-loss rate distributions of the calibrated models. The results of our calibration are included in updated stellar isochrones publicly available. △ Less

Submitted 19 August, 2020; originally announced August 2020.

Comments: Accepted for publication in MNRAS