Bursty star formation and galaxy–galaxy interactions in low-mass galaxies 1 Gyr after the Big Bang

Abstract

ABSTRACT We use CANUCS JWST/NIRCam imaging of galaxies behind the gravitationally-lensing cluster MACS J0417.5-1154 to investigate star formation burstiness in low-mass (M⋆ ∼ 108 M⊙) galaxies at z ∼ 4.7–6.5. Our sample of 123 galaxies is selected using the Lyman break selection and photometric emission-line excess methods. Sixty per cent of the 123 galaxies in this sample have Hα-to-UV flux ratios that deviate significantly from the range of Hα-to-UV ratio values consistent with smooth and steady star formation histories. This large fraction indicates that the majority of low-mass galaxies is experiencing bursty star formation histories at high redshift. We also searched for interacting galaxies in our sample and found that they are remarkably common ($\sim 40~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the sample). Compared to non-interacting galaxies, interacting galaxies are more likely to have very low Hα-to-UV ratios, suggesting that galaxy–galaxy interactions enhance star formation burstiness and enable faster quenching (with time-scales of ≲100 Myr) that follows the rapid rise of star formation activity. Given the high frequency of galaxy–galaxy interactions and the rapid SFR fluctuations they appear to cause, we conclude that galaxy–galaxy interactions could be a leading cause of bursty star formation in low-mass, high-z galaxies. They could thus play a significant role in the evolution of the galaxy population at early cosmological times.