Temporal relationship between GN-z11-like and LRD phases

Determine whether the GN-z11-like phase precedes or follows the little-red-dot phase during the evolution of compact, nitrogen-enhanced early galaxies.

Background

The paper notes similarities between GN-z11 and the little-red-dot population, including nitrogen enhancement and Lyβ-pumped O I emission. One proposed evolutionary picture is that intense star formation forms very massive stars and seeds an intermediate-mass black hole, which later grows in dense nuclear gas. The available observations do not establish whether the GN-z11-like star-forming phase is an antecedent to, or a successor of, an LRD phase.

References

Whether such a phase may precede an LRD phase, with the seeded black hole subsequently growing in the dense nuclear gas, or alternatively follow one, after feedback has cleared much of the obscuring material, is unclear.

— SPURS: Massive Stars, Dense Gas, and Ly$α$ Escape in GN-z11 at $z = 10.6$  (2608.12699 - Chen et al., 13 Aug 2026) in Section 7.3, New Insight into Physical Nature of GN-z11