Enhanced Sub-kpc Scale Star-formation: Results From A JWST Size Analysis of 341 Galaxies At 5<z<14

Understand

We present a comprehensive search and analysis of high-redshift galaxies in a suite of nine public JWST extragalactic fields taken in Cycle 1, covering a total effective search area of $\sim358{\rm arcmin^2}$.

• Through conservative ($8\sigma$) photometric selection, we identify 341 galaxies at $5<z<14$, with 109 having spectroscopic redshift measurements from the literature, including recent JWST NIRSpec observations.
• Our regression analysis reveals that the rest-frame UV size-stellar mass relation follows $R_{\rm eff}\propto M_*^{0.19\pm0.03}$, similar to that of star-forming galaxies at $z\sim3$, but scaled down in size by $\sim0.7$dex.
• We find a much slower rate for the average size evolution over the redshift range, $R_{\rm eff}\propto(1+z)^{-0.4\pm0.2}$, than that derived in the literature.