Overview
- The PNAS analysis of JWST JADES data identifies four candidates—JADES-GS-z11-0, JADES-GS-z13-0, JADES-GS-z14-0 and JADES-GS-z14-1—with spectra and morphology consistent with supermassive dark stars.
- JADES-GS-z14-0, described as the second-most distant JWST object, shows a dip consistent with a He II 1640 Å absorption feature, but the signal-to-noise is only about 2.
- ALMA observations report oxygen emission from JADES-GS-z14-0, introducing metallicity tension with a purely primordial, dark-matter–powered interpretation.
- Researchers emphasize that alternative explanations, including supermassive primordial stars and other early-universe models, have not been ruled out.
- The team is using JWST NIRSpec and NIRCam results to guide simulations, assess metallicity limits, and automate broader searches ahead of higher-S/N follow-up observations.