Direct T e -based Metallicities of z = 2–9 Galaxies with JWST/NIRSpec: Empirical Metallicity Calibrations Applicable from Reionization to Cosmic Noon

Abstract We report detections of the [O iii ] λ 4364 auroral emission line for 16 galaxies at z = 2.1–8.7, measured from JWST/NIRSpec observations obtained as part of the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey program. We combine this CEERS sample with 9 objects from the literature at z = 4−9 with auroral-line detections from JWST/NIRSpec and 21 galaxies at z = 1.4−3.7 with auroral-line detections from ground-based spectroscopy. We derive electron temperature ( T e ) and direct-method oxygen abundances for the combined sample of 46 star-forming galaxies at z = 1.4−8.7. We use these measurements to construct the first high-redshift empirical T e -based metallicity calibrations for the strong-line…

• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  Awards: NAS5-03127, HST-HF2-51469, NAS5-26555, JWST-GO-01914, HST-HF2-51469.001-A
• ST
  Space Telescope Science Institute

  Awards: NAS5-03127, NAS5-26555, 26555
• NR
  National Research Foundation
• DG
  Danmarks Grundforskningsfond