The eventful life of GS-z14-0, the most distant galaxy at redshift z = 14.32

Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy

Received: 31 May 2024
Accepted: 23 July 2024

Abstract

We developed a model for the star formation history (SFH) of super-early galaxies and applied it to GS-z14-0, the most distant galaxy known, located at z = 14.32 (294 million years after the Big Bang). The SFH, starting at z = 26.7, is complex. Initially (z > 18), the galaxy experiences feedback-regulated phases that are bursty, relatively faint (reaching M_UV = −18.4), and unattenuated. When dust shielding allows for a smooth star formation rate (SFR), the galaxy quickly becomes heavily obscured. During this obscured phase, which lasts for approximately 20% of the total star-forming time, 70% of the observed stars are formed. Super-early galaxies in this phase should be detectable by ALMA. Twenty-six million years before observation, as the galaxy becomes super-Eddington, a powerful radiation-driven outflow clears most of the dust and significantly reduces the SFR by a factor of seven, from 100 → 15 M_⊙ yr⁻¹. The galaxy transitions into a “blue monster” dominating the bright end of the UV luminosity function. When the outflow ceases due to decreased dust opacity, the galaxy relaxes into a post-starburst phase, in which it is currently observed. Our model accurately reproduces all the observed and inferred properties of the galaxy. The analysis of this extreme system opens exciting opportunities for studying the beginnings of the luminous Universe.