{
  "abstract": "JWST/NIRCam imaging has enabled efficient selection of a large number of galaxy candidates at very high redshifts. Accurate and robust selection is crucial for statistical analyses, such as measurement of the ultraviolet luminosity function (UV LF). A variety of selection methods and criteria have been proposed in the literature. We evaluate the selection methodology of galaxy candidates at $z\\geq8.5$ using 183 candidates with secure spectroscopic redshifts obtained from the CAPERS JWST/NIRSpec PRISM program. The success of high-$z$ confirmation is strongly correlated with the photometric signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the detection filter, the strength of the Lyman-$α$ break, and the $Δχ^2$ between the best-fitting low-redshift and high-redshift spectral energy distribution model. However, the most efficient selection method is the use of a UV LF prior on the inferred $p(z)$ of a source, raising the success rate from $\\simeq 35\\%$ to $\\simeq 77\\%$ while achieving greater completeness than conservative SNR and $Δχ^2$ cuts. Out of the 183 candidates we spectroscopically confirm 48 sources at $z\\geq8.5$ via detections of emission lines and/or the Lyman-$α$ break (particularly important for those with no emission line detection). We report the highest-redshift source in CAPERS as UDS-111893 at $z_{\\mathrm{spec}}=12.98$, with no sources confirmed at $z>13$. This work provides spectroscopic quantification of JWST/NIRCam photometric selection at $z\\geq8.5$, and demonstrates the effectiveness of a UV LF prior for high-redshift photometric selection.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2610.12322",
  "author_total": 24,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Callum T. Donnan"
    },
    {
      "name": "Mark Dickinson"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lorenzo Napolitano"
    },
    {
      "name": "Pablo Arrabal Haro"
    },
    {
      "name": "Anthony J. Taylor"
    },
    {
      "name": "Hollis B. Akins"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ryan Begley"
    },
    {
      "name": "Davide Bevacqua"
    },
    {
      "name": "Adam C. Carnall"
    },
    {
      "name": "Marco Castellano"
    },
    {
      "name": "Fergus Cullen"
    },
    {
      "name": "James S. Dunlop"
    },
    {
      "name": "Steven L. Finkelstein"
    },
    {
      "name": "Carter Flayhart"
    },
    {
      "name": "Mauro Giavalisco"
    },
    {
      "name": "Michaela Hirschmann"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ray A. Lucas"
    },
    {
      "name": "Derek J. McLeod"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ross J. McLure"
    },
    {
      "name": "Casey Papovich"
    },
    {
      "name": "Laura Pentericci"
    },
    {
      "name": "Borja Pérez-Díaz"
    },
    {
      "name": "Thomas M. Stanton"
    },
    {
      "name": "L. Y. Aaron Yung"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3kkvjjds0k16c.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2610.12322",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "3kkvjjds0k16c",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.12322",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "astro-ph.GA"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3103|Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221130599",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.12322",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-08",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3kkvjjds0k16c.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:27:54Z",
      "native_id": "2610.12322",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.12322"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "arxiv:astro-ph.GA",
      "subfield": "galaxies"
    }
  ],
  "title": "JWST CAPERS: Spectroscopic evaluation of very high redshift galaxy candidates",
  "title_text": "JWST CAPERS: Spectroscopic evaluation of very high redshift galaxy candidates",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:27:54Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3kkvjjds0k16c",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}