An Extremely Massive Quiescent Galaxy at z = 3.493: Evidence of Insufficiently Rapid Quenching Mechanisms in Theoretical Models*

Abstract

We present spectra of the most massive quiescent galaxy yet discovered at z > 3, spectroscopically confirmed via the detection of Balmer absorption features in the H− and K−bands of Keck/MOSFIRE. The spectra confirm a galaxy with no significant ongoing star formation, consistent with the lack of rest-frame UV flux and overall photometric spectral energy distribution. With a stellar mass of 3.1 +0.1 −0.2 ×10 11 M at z = 3.493, this galaxy is nearly three times more massive than the highest redshift spectroscopically confirmed absorption-line identified galaxy known. The star-formation history of this quiescent galaxy implies that it formed > 1000 M /yr for almost 0.5 Gyr beginning at z ∼ 7.2, strongly suggestive that it is the descendant of massive dusty star-forming galaxies at 5 < z < 7 recently observed with ALMA. While galaxies with similarly extreme stellar masses are reproduced in some simulations at early times, such a lack of ongoing star formation is not seen there. This suggests the need for a more rapid quenching process than is currently prescribed, challenging our current understanding of how ultra-massive galaxies form and evolve in the early Universe.

Modeling that Predicts Elementary Particles and Explains Data about Dark Matter, Early Galaxies, and the Cosmos

“…(Ongoing modeling KMS modeling features expressions of the form that equation (57) shows.) The case that features equation (55) and σ SA = −1 correlates with some aspects of proposed modeling models. (See discussion related to table 76.)…”

“…The galaxy XMM-2599 stopped producing visible stars by approximately 1.8 billion years after the Big Bang. (See reference [55].) People speculate regarding a so-called quenching mechanism.…”

Elementary Particles, Dark Matter, and Dark Energy: Descriptions that Explain Aspects of Dark Matter to Ordinary Matter Ratios, Inflation, Early Galaxies, and Expansion of the Universe

“…Regarding the tauon, our calculation correlates with a mass that may be more accurate, and more accurately specified, than the mass correlating with reference [17] data. (See equations (50) and (51). )…”

“…• The galaxy XMM-2599 stopped producing visible stars by approximately 1.8 billion years after the big bang. (See reference [51].) People speculate regarding a so-called quenching mechanism.…”

“…and table 21.) In table51, an item in parentheses shows a non-zero magnitude that pertains for modeling that correlates with σ = +1. For charge, for σ = −1, |q e |/3 pertains.…”