Identification of progenitors of early massive quiescent galaxies

Determine whether the progenitors of massive quiescent galaxies that formed a stellar mass exceeding 10^10 solar masses at redshifts z > 3 and quenched by z > 7—such as RUBIES-UDS-QG-z7—have already been identified in current high-redshift galaxy samples, and ascertain their distinguishing observational properties.

Background

Massive quiescent galaxies at z ∼ 2–5 are inferred to have formed rapidly at very early times (possibly z ≳ 8) and quenched by z ≳ 7. While JWST has revealed a variety of high-redshift populations (e.g., low-mass recently quenched sources and Little Red Dots), it is uncertain which, if any, correspond to the actual progenitors of these massive quiescent systems. Clarifying this is essential for constraining star-formation histories and quenching pathways in the early universe.