Speaker
Description
The quest to discover galaxies beyond redshift z = 9 and probe their properties has been a key motivation for the development of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Early spectroscopic campaigns using JWST NIRSpec have already validated photometric selections and allowed us to probe the physical conditions of galaxies in the early universe. Intriguingly, NIRSpec follow-up observations of high-redshift objects have suggested a surprisingly high incidence of AGNs, with candidates reaching z ≈ 10 and beyond. In this context, I will present the spectroscopic characterization of seven galaxies within the redshift range 9.5 < z < 12.5, as part of Program GO-3073 (PI M. Castellano) targeting the GLASS field with JWST NIRSpec/PRISM. All these targets were initially identified as robust z > 9 candidates. I will also discuss the high number density within the Abell 2744 field, as revealed by spectroscopic observations, and consider these findings in light of recent UV luminosity functions at z = 10.
