JADES NIRSpec Spectroscopy of GN-z11: Lyman-α emission and possible enhanced nitrogen abundance in a z = 10.60 luminous galaxy

Abstract

We present JADES JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy of GN-z11, the most luminous candidate z > 10 Lyman break galaxy in the GOODS-North field with M UV = −21.5. We derive a redshift of z = 10.603 (lower than previous determinations) based on multiple emission lines in our low and medium resolution spectra over 0.7 − 5.3 μm. We significantly detect the continuum and measure a blue rest-UV spectral slope of β = −2.4. Remarkably, we see spatially extended Lyman- α in emission (despite the highly neutral intergalactic medium expected at this early epoch), offset 555 km s −1 redwards of the systemic redshift. From our measurements of collisionally excited lines of both low and high ionisation (including [O II ] λ 3727, [Ne III ] λ 3869, and C III ] λ 1909), we infer a high ionisation parameter (log U ∼ −2). We detect the rarely seen N IV ] λ 1486 and N III ] λ 1748 lines in both our low and medium resolution spectra, with other high ionisation lines seen in the low resolution spectrum, such as He II (blended with O III ]) and C IV (with a possible P-Cygni profile). Based on the observed rest-UV line ratios, we cannot conclusively rule out photoionisation from an active galactic nucleus (AGN), although the high C III ]/He II and N III ]/He II ratios are compatible with a star formation explanation. If the observed emission lines are powered by star formation, then the strong N III ] λ 1748 observed may imply an unusually high N / O abundance. Balmer emission lines (H γ , H δ ) are also detected, and if powered by star formation rather than an AGN, we infer a star formation rate of ∼20 − 30 M ⊙ yr −1 (depending on the initial mass function) and low dust attenuation. Our NIRSpec spectroscopy confirms that GN-z11 is a remarkable galaxy with extreme properties seen 430 Myr after the Big Bang.