ISAAC (3 color) image in the near-infrared of the core of the lensing cluster Abell 1835 (left) with the location of the galaxy Abell 1835 IR1916. Zoom on the faint distant galaxy (right, encircled).

[full resolution image (TIFF)]

Fast facts

ISAAC (3 color) image in the near-infrared of the core of the lensing cluster Abell 1835 (top left) with the location of the galaxy Abell 1835 IR1916. Zoom on the faint distant galaxy (top right, encircled).

The lower thumbnail figures show ight, encircled). the images of the remote galaxy in the visible R-band (HST-WPC image), in the J-, H-, and K-bands. The fact that the galaxy is not detected in the visible image but present in the others - and more so in the H-band - is an indication that this galaxy has a redshift around 10.

[full resolution image (JPEG)]

ISAAC image in the near-infrared of the core of the lensing cluster Abell 1835 (upper) with the location of the galaxy Abell 1835 IR1916 (red circle). The thumbnail images at the bottom show the images of the remote galaxy in the visible R-band (HST-WPC image), in the J-, H-, and K-bands, and finally a composite in the J-, H- and K-bands. The fact that the galaxy is not detected in the visible image but present in the others - and more so in the H-band - is an indication that this galaxy has a redshift around 10.

[full resolution image (JPEG)]

Color composite images of the distant galaxy Abell 1835 IR1916 (circle). Top, a): near-IR image, Bottom, b): optical-IR image.

The fact that the galaxy is seen as blue in the upper image but clearly appears reddish in the lower one, is another of the strong indications that this galaxy is very remote and that its light is redshifted by a large amount.

Note the different orientation compared to the above images.

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Observed and modeled spectral energy distribution of Abell 1835 IR1916 providing strong evidence for its high redshift ("photometric redshift" z~9-11), i.e. distance.

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Two-dimensional spectra around the emission line at 1.33745 micron showing the detected emission line of Abell 1835 IR1916 (circle above) . If identified as Ly-alpha (121.6 nm), this leads to a redshift z=10.

The right panels show the spectra in the overlapping blue spectral band (centered at1.315 micron), in the red band (centered at 1.365 micron) and in the composite spectrum respectively. The line is seen in the dark circles.

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a) One dimensional spectrum showing the detected Lyman-alpha line. The dashed line shows the level corresponding to 1 sigma of the background noise. The line is detected at a 4-5 sigma level.

b) Line profiles: instrumental profile (dotted) , and half-gaussian with rest-frame velocities of 60, 100, and 200 km/s. The observed line is hardly resolved and barely asymmetric.

The narrow line profile could be due to the relatively small mass of this galaxy.

[full resolution image (JPEG)]