June 13, 2024 | D. Schaerer, R. Marques-Chaves, M. Xiao, D. Korber
A new N-emitter, GN-z9p4, has been discovered at a redshift of z = 9.380 in the GOODS-North field. This galaxy exhibits strong UV-optical emission lines, including the N iv] λ1486 line, making it the third-highest redshift N-emitter known. The study determined the nebular abundances of H, C, N, O, and Ne, as well as the size and other physical properties of GN-z9p4. The metallicity was found to be 12 + log(O/H) = 7.37 ± 0.15, one of the lowest among N-emitters. The N/O abundance ratio is highly super-solar, while C/O and Ne/O are normal for low-metallicity galaxies. GN-z9p4 is compact, with an effective radius of 118 ± 16 pc, and exhibits very high stellar mass and SFR surface densities. These properties suggest that N-emitters may be identified by their extreme stellar mass and SFR densities. The study highlights the rarity and enigmatic nature of N-emitters, emphasizing the need for future research and larger samples to understand their origins and significance in the epoch of reionization.A new N-emitter, GN-z9p4, has been discovered at a redshift of z = 9.380 in the GOODS-North field. This galaxy exhibits strong UV-optical emission lines, including the N iv] λ1486 line, making it the third-highest redshift N-emitter known. The study determined the nebular abundances of H, C, N, O, and Ne, as well as the size and other physical properties of GN-z9p4. The metallicity was found to be 12 + log(O/H) = 7.37 ± 0.15, one of the lowest among N-emitters. The N/O abundance ratio is highly super-solar, while C/O and Ne/O are normal for low-metallicity galaxies. GN-z9p4 is compact, with an effective radius of 118 ± 16 pc, and exhibits very high stellar mass and SFR surface densities. These properties suggest that N-emitters may be identified by their extreme stellar mass and SFR densities. The study highlights the rarity and enigmatic nature of N-emitters, emphasizing the need for future research and larger samples to understand their origins and significance in the epoch of reionization.