The galaxy UV luminosity function at z≃11 from a suite of public JWST ERS, ERO and Cycle-1 programs

We present a new determination of the evolving galaxy UV luminosity function (LF) over the redshift range 9.5<z<12.5 based on a wide-area (>250 arcmin2) data set of JWST NIRCam near-infrared imaging assembled from thirteen public JWST surveys. Our relatively large-area search allows us to uncover a sample of 61 robust z>9.5 candidates detected at ≥8σ, and hence place new constraints on the intermediate-to-bright end of the UV LF. When combined with our previous JWST+UltraVISTA results, this allows us to measure the form of the LF over a luminosity range corresponding to four magnitudes (M1500). At these early times we find that the galaxy UV LF is best described by a double power-law function, consistent with results obtained from recent ground-based and early JWST studies at similar redshifts. Our measurements provide further evidence for a relative lack of evolution at the bright-end of the UV LF at z=9−11, but do favour a steep faint-end slope (α≤−2). The luminosity-weighted integral of our evolving UV LF provides further evidence for a gradual, smooth (exponential) decline in co-moving star-formation rate density (ρSFR) at least out to z≃12, with our determination of ρSFR(z=11) lying significantly above the predictions of many theoretical models of galaxy evolution.