The next generation deep extragalactic exploratory public near-infrared slitless survey epoch 1 (NGDEEP-NISS1) : extragalactic star-formation and active galactic nuclei at 0.5 < z < 3.6

Abstract

The Next Generation Deep Extragalactic Exploratory Public (NGDEEP) survey program was designed specifically to include Near Infrared Slitless Spectroscopic observations (NGDEEP-NISS) to detect multiple emission lines in as many galaxies as possible and across a wide redshift range using the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph. We present early results obtained from the first set of observations (Epoch 1, 50% of the allocated orbits) of this program (NGDEEP-NISS1). Using a set of independently developed calibration files designed to deal with a complex combination of overlapping spectra, multiple position angles, and multiple cross filters and grisms, in conjunction with a robust and proven algorithm for quantifying contamination from overlapping dispersed spectra, NGDEEP-NISS1 has achieved a 3σ sensitivity limit of 2 × 10−18 erg s−1 cm−2. We demonstrate the power of deep wide field slitless spectroscopy (WFSS) to characterize the star formation rates, and metallicity ([O iii]/Hβ), and dust content, of galaxies at 1 < z < 3.5. The latter showing intriguing initial results on the applicability and assumptions made regarding the use of Case B recombination. Further, we identify the presence of active galactic nuclei and infer the mass of their supermassive black holes using broadened restframe Mg ii and Hβ emission lines. The spectroscopic results are then compared with the physical properties of galaxies extrapolated from fitting spectral energy distribution models to photometry alone. The results clearly demonstrate the unique power and efficiency of WFSS at near-infrared wavelengths over other methods to determine the properties of galaxies across a broad range of redshifts.