The ramp-up of interstellar medium enrichment at z > 4

Fluorine is one of the most interesting elements for nuclear and stellar astrophysics1,2. Fluorine abundance was first measured for stars other than the Sun in 19921, then for a handful of metal-poor stars3, which are likely to have formed in the early Universe. The main production sites of fluorine are under debate and include asymptotic giant branch stars, the ν-process in core-collapse supernovae, and Wolf–Rayet stars4,5,6,7,8,9,10. Due to the difference in the mass and lifetime of progenitor stars, high-redshift observations of fluorine can help constrain the mechanism of fluorine production in massive galaxies. Here, we report the detection of HF (signal-to-noise ratio of 8) in absorption in a gravitationally lensed dusty star-forming galaxy at redshift z = 4.4 with NHF/NH2NH2 as high as ~2 × 10−9, indicating a very quick ramp-up of the chemical enrichment in this high-z galaxy. At z = 4.4, asymptotic giant branch stars of a few solar masses are very unlikely to dominate the enrichment. Instead, we show that Wolf–Rayet stars are required to produce the observed fluorine abundance at this time, with other production mechanisms becoming important at later times. These observations therefore provide an insight into the underlying processes driving the ramp-up phase of chemical enrichment alongside rapid stellar mass assembly in a young massive galaxy.

Coppin, K. E. K.University of Hertfordshire (author)
Geach, J. E.University of Hertfordshire (author)
Kobayashi, C.University of Hertfordshire (author)
Chapman, S. C.Dalhousie University (author)
Yang, Chentao,1988Chalmers tekniska högskola,Chalmers University of Technology(Swepub:cth)chentao (author)
Gonzalez-Alfonso, E.Universidad de Alcala,University of Alcalá (author)
Spilker, JustinThe University of Texas at Austin, USA (author)
Cooray, A.University of California (author)
Michalowski, M. J.Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu,Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (author)
University of HertfordshireDalhousie University (creator_code:org_t)

In:Nature Astronomy: Springer Science and Business Media LLC5, s. 1240-12462397-3366

By the author/editor: Franco, Maximili ...; Coppin, K. E. K.; Geach, J. E.; Kobayashi, C.; Chapman, S. C.; Yang, Chentao, 1 ...; show more...; Gonzalez-Alfonso ...; Spilker, Justin; Cooray, A.; Michalowski, M. ...; show less...

About the subject

NATURAL SCIENCES: NATURAL SCIENCES; and Chemical Science ...; and Analytical Chemi ...

NATURAL SCIENCES: NATURAL SCIENCES; and Physical Science ...; and Astronomy Astrop ...

NATURAL SCIENCES: NATURAL SCIENCES; and Earth and Relate ...; and Geochemistry

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