We present JWST/NIRSpec R≈2700 spectra of four high-redshift quasars:
VDES J0020-3653 (z = 6.860), DELS J0411-0907(z = 6.825), UHS J0439+1634 (z =
6.519) and ULAS J1342+0928 (z = 7.535). The exquisite data quality,
signal-to-noise ratio of 50-200, and large 0.86μm≤λ≤5.5μm spectral coverage allows us to identify between 13 and 17
intervening and proximate metal absorption line systems in each quasar
spectrum, with a total number of 61 absorption-line systems detected at
2.42<z<7.48 including the highest redshift intervening OI λ1302 and
MgII systems at z=7.37 and z=7.44. We investigate the evolution of the
metal enrichment in the epoch of reionization at z>6 and find: i) A continued
increase of the low-ionization OI, CII, and SiII incidence, ii) Decreasing
high-ionization CIV and SiIV incidence with a transition from predominantly
high- to low-ionization at z≈6.0, and iii) a constant MgII incidence
across all redshifts. The observations support a change in the ionization state
of the intergalactic medium in the EoR rather than a change in metallicity. The
abundance ratio of [Si/O] in five z>6 absorption systems show enrichment
signatures produced by low-mass Pop III pair instability supernovae, and
possibly Pop III hypernovae. In the Gunn-Peterson troughs we detect
transmission spikes where Lyα photons can escape. From 22 absorption
systems at z>5.7, only a single low-ionization system out of 13 lies within
2000 km s−1 from a spike, while four high-ionization systems out of nine
lie within ∼2000 km s−1 from a spike. This confirms that galaxies
responsible for the heavy elements that are transported into the circumgalactic
medium lie in predominantly in high-density, neutral environments, while lower
density environments are ionized without being polluted by metals at z≈
6-7. [abridged]Comment: 50 pages including 30 pages of appendices. Submitted to A&