PASSAGES: The Discovery of a Strongly Lensed Protocluster Core Candidate at Cosmic Noon

Authors

• Nicholas Foo, Arizona State University
• Kevin C. Harrington, Joint ALMA Observatory
• Brenda L. Frye, The University of Arizona
• Patrick S. Kamieneski, The University of Arizona
• Min S. Yun, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Massimo Pascale, University of California, Berkeley
• Ilsang Yoon, National Radio Astronomy Observatory
• Allison Noble, Arizona State University
• Rogier A. Windhorst, Arizona State University
• Seth H. Cohen, Arizona State University
• James Lowenthal, Smith CollegeFollow
• Melanie Kaasinen, European Southern Observatory Santiago
• Belén Alcalde Pampliega, European Southern Observatory Santiago
• Daizhong Liu, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Olivia Cooper, The University of Texas at Austin
• Carlos Garcia Diaz, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Anastasio Diaz-Sanchez, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena
• Jose Diego, Instituto de Fisica de Cantabria (UC-CSIC)
• Nikhil Garuda, University of Arizona
• Eric F. Jiménez-Andrade, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
• Reagen Leimbach, University of Arizona
• Amit Vishwas, Cornell University
• Q. Daniel Wang, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Dazhi Zhou, University of British Columbia
• Adi Zitrin, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Author ORCID Identifier

Nicholas Foo: 0000-0002-7460-8460

Kevin C. Harrington: 0000-0001-5429-5762

Brenda Frye: 0000-0003-1625-8009

Patrick S. Kamieneski: 0000-0001-9394-6732

Min S. Yun: 0000-0001-7095-7543

Massimo Pascale: 0000-0002-2282-8795

Ilsang Yoon: 0000-0001-9163-0064

Allison Noble: 0000-0003-1832-4137

Rogier Windhorst: 0000-0001-8156-6281

Seth H. Cohen: 0000-0003-3329-1337

James D. Lowenthal: 0000-0001-9969-3115

Melanie Kaasinen: 0000-0002-1173-2579

Belén Alcalde Pampliega: 0000-0002-4140-0428

Daizhong Liu: 0000-0001-9773-7479

Olivia Cooper: 0000-0003-3881-1397

Carlos Garcia Diaz: 0000-0002-4223-2016

Anastasio Diaz-Sanchez: 0000-0003-0748-4768

Jose Diego: 0000-0001-9065-3926

Nikhil Garuda: 0000-0003-3418-2482

Eric F. Jiménez-Andrade: 0000-0002-2640-5917

Reagen Leimbach: 0009-0001-7446-2350

Amit Vishwas: 0000-0002-4444-8929

Q. Daniel Wang: 0000-0002-9279-4041

Dazhi Zhou: 0000-0002-6922-469X

Adi Zitrin: 0000-0002-0350-4488

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-19-2025

Publication Title

The Astrophysical Journal

Abstract

Investigating the processes by which galaxies rapidly build up their stellar mass during the peak of their star formation (z  =  2–3) is crucial to advancing our understanding of the assembly of large-scale structures. We report the discovery of one of the most gas- and dust-rich protocluster core candidates, PJ0846+15 (J0846), from the Planck All-Sky Survey to Analyze Gravitationally lensed Extreme Starbursts (PASSAGES) sample. The exceedingly high total star formation rate (SFR) uncorrected for lensing magnification ( μ) of  μSFR  yr−1 is the result of a foreground cluster lensing at least 11 dusty star-forming galaxies between z  = 2.660 and 2.669, where the intrinsic value is estimated to be SFR  yr−1. Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations uncovered 18 CO(3–2) emission-line detections, some of which are multiply imaged systems, lensed by a foreground cluster at z  =  0.77. We present the first multiwavelength characterization of this field, constructing a lens model that predicts that these 11 galaxies (μ  ≃  1.5–25) are contained within a projected physical extent of 280 × 150 kpc, with a velocity dispersion of σv  =  246 ± 72 km s−1. J0846 exhibits the rare case of a protocluster candidate whose core is strongly lensed, offering a magnified view of the rapid stellar buildup within an overdense environment at Cosmic Noon.

Keywords

Protoclusters (1297), Strong gravitational lensing (1643), Starburst galaxies (1570), Galaxy evolution (594), Interstellar medium (847)

Volume

995

Issue

2

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Rights

© 2025. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.

Version

Version of Record

Recommended Citation

Foo, Nicholas; Harrington, Kevin C.; Frye, Brenda L.; Kamieneski, Patrick S.; Yun, Min S.; Pascale, Massimo; Yoon, Ilsang; Noble, Allison; Windhorst, Rogier A.; Cohen, Seth H.; Lowenthal, James; Kaasinen, Melanie; Pampliega, Belén Alcalde; Liu, Daizhong; Cooper, Olivia; Garcia Diaz, Carlos; Diaz-Sanchez, Anastasio; Diego, Jose; Garuda, Nikhil; Jiménez-Andrade, Eric F.; Leimbach, Reagen; Vishwas, Amit; Wang, Q. Daniel; Zhou, Dazhi; and Zitrin, Adi, "PASSAGES: The Discovery of a Strongly Lensed Protocluster Core Candidate at Cosmic Noon" (2025). Astronomy: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/ast_facpubs/154