article published yes K. E. Heintz author G. B. Brammer author D. Watson author P. A. Oesch author L. C. Keating author M. J. Hayes author Unknown Abdurro'Uf author K. Z. Arellano-Córdova author A. C. Carnall author C. R. Christiansen author F. Cullen author R. Davé author P. Dayal author A. Ferrara author K. Finlator author J. P.U. Fynbo author S. R. Flury author V. Gelli author S. Gillman author R. Gottumukkala author K. Gould author T. R. Greve author S. E. Hardin author T. Y.Y. Hsiao author A. Hutter author P. Jakobsson author M. Killi author N. Khosravaninezhad author P. Laursen author M. M. Lee author G. E. Magdis author Jorryt J Matthee author 7439a258-f3c0-11ec-9501-9df22fe067200000-0003-2871-127X R. P. Naidu author D. Narayanan author C. Pollock author M. K.M. Prescott author V. Rusakov author M. Shuntov author A. Sneppen author R. Smit author N. R. Tanvir author C. Terp author S. Toft author F. Valentino author A. P. Vijayan author J. R. Weaver author J. H. Wise author J. Witstok author JoMa department Context. One of the surprising early findings with JWST has been the discovery of a strong “roll-over” or a softening of the absorption edge of Lyα in a large number of galaxies at z ≳ 6, in addition to systematic offsets from photometric redshift estimates and fundamental galaxy scaling relations. This has been interpreted as strong cumulative damped Lyα absorption (DLA) wings from high column densities of neutral atomic hydrogen (H I), signifying major gas accretion events in the formation of these galaxies. Aims. To explore this new phenomenon systematically, we assembled the JWST/NIRSpec PRImordial gas Mass AssembLy (PRIMAL) legacy survey of 584 galaxies at z = 5.0 − 13.4, designed to study the physical properties and gas in and around galaxies during the reionization epoch. Methods. We characterized this benchmark sample in full and spectroscopically derived the galaxy redshifts, metallicities, star formation rates, and ultraviolet (UV) slopes. We defined a new diagnostic, the Lyα damping parameter DLyα, to measure and quantify the net effect of Lyα emission strength, the H I fraction in the intergalactic medium, or the local H I column density for each source. The JWST-PRIMAL survey is based on the spectroscopic DAWN JWST Archive (DJA-Spec). We describe DJA-Spec in this paper, detailing the reduction methods, the post-processing steps, and basic analysis tools. All the software, reduced spectra, and spectroscopically derived quantities and catalogs are made publicly available in dedicated repositories. Results. We find that the fraction of galaxies showing strong integrated DLAs with NHI > 1021 cm−2 only increases slightly from ≈60% at z ≈ 6 up to ≈65 − 90% at z > 8. Similarly, the prevalence and prominence of Lyα emission is found to increase with decreasing redshift, in qualitative agreement with previous observational results. Strong Lyα emitters (LAEs) are predominantly found to be associated with low-metallicity and UV faint galaxies. By contrast, strong DLAs are observed in galaxies with a variety of intrinsic physical properties, but predominantly at high redshifts and low metallicities. Conclusions. Our results indicate that strong DLAs likely reflect a particular early assembly phase of reionization-era galaxies, at which point they are largely dominated by pristine H I gas accretion. At z = 8 − 10, this gas gradually cools and forms into stars that ionize their local surroundings, forming large ionized bubbles and producing strong observed Lyα emission at z < 8. https://research-explorer.ista.ac.at/download/18854/18858/2025_AstronomyAstrophysics_Heintz.pdf application/pdfno EDP Sciences2025 eng 0004-6361 1432-0746 00139085680000110.1051/0004-6361/202450243 693 Heintz, K. E., G. B. Brammer, D. Watson, P. A. Oesch, L. C. Keating, M. J. Hayes, Unknown Abdurro’Uf, et al. “The JWST-PRIMAL Archival Survey: A JWST/NIRSpec Reference Sample for the Physical Properties and Lyman-α Absorption and Emission of ∼600 Galaxies at z = 5.0-13.4.” <i>Astronomy &#38; Astrophysics</i>. EDP Sciences, 2025. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202450243">https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202450243</a>. Heintz, K. E., Brammer, G. B., Watson, D., Oesch, P. A., Keating, L. C., Hayes, M. J., … Witstok, J. (2025). The JWST-PRIMAL archival survey: A JWST/NIRSpec reference sample for the physical properties and Lyman-α absorption and emission of ∼600 galaxies at z = 5.0-13.4. <i>Astronomy &#38; Astrophysics</i>. EDP Sciences. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202450243">https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202450243</a> K. E. Heintz <i>et al.</i>, “The JWST-PRIMAL archival survey: A JWST/NIRSpec reference sample for the physical properties and Lyman-α absorption and emission of ∼600 galaxies at z = 5.0-13.4,” <i>Astronomy &#38; Astrophysics</i>, vol. 693. EDP Sciences, 2025. Heintz, K. E., et al. “The JWST-PRIMAL Archival Survey: A JWST/NIRSpec Reference Sample for the Physical Properties and Lyman-α Absorption and Emission of ∼600 Galaxies at z = 5.0-13.4.” <i>Astronomy &#38; Astrophysics</i>, vol. 693, A60, EDP Sciences, 2025, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202450243">10.1051/0004-6361/202450243</a>. K.E. Heintz, G.B. Brammer, D. Watson, P.A. Oesch, L.C. Keating, M.J. Hayes, U. Abdurro’Uf, K.Z. Arellano-Córdova, A.C. Carnall, C.R. Christiansen, F. Cullen, R. Davé, P. Dayal, A. Ferrara, K. Finlator, J.P.U. Fynbo, S.R. Flury, V. Gelli, S. Gillman, R. Gottumukkala, K. Gould, T.R. Greve, S.E. Hardin, T.Y.Y. Hsiao, A. Hutter, P. Jakobsson, M. Killi, N. Khosravaninezhad, P. Laursen, M.M. Lee, G.E. Magdis, J.J. Matthee, R.P. Naidu, D. Narayanan, C. Pollock, M.K.M. Prescott, V. Rusakov, M. Shuntov, A. Sneppen, R. Smit, N.R. Tanvir, C. Terp, S. Toft, F. Valentino, A.P. Vijayan, J.R. Weaver, J.H. Wise, J. Witstok, Astronomy &#38; Astrophysics 693 (2025). Heintz KE, Brammer GB, Watson D, et al. The JWST-PRIMAL archival survey: A JWST/NIRSpec reference sample for the physical properties and Lyman-α absorption and emission of ∼600 galaxies at z = 5.0-13.4. <i>Astronomy &#38; Astrophysics</i>. 2025;693. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202450243">10.1051/0004-6361/202450243</a> Heintz KE, Brammer GB, Watson D, Oesch PA, Keating LC, Hayes MJ, Abdurro’Uf U, Arellano-Córdova KZ, Carnall AC, Christiansen CR, Cullen F, Davé R, Dayal P, Ferrara A, Finlator K, Fynbo JPU, Flury SR, Gelli V, Gillman S, Gottumukkala R, Gould K, Greve TR, Hardin SE, Hsiao TYY, Hutter A, Jakobsson P, Killi M, Khosravaninezhad N, Laursen P, Lee MM, Magdis GE, Matthee JJ, Naidu RP, Narayanan D, Pollock C, Prescott MKM, Rusakov V, Shuntov M, Sneppen A, Smit R, Tanvir NR, Terp C, Toft S, Valentino F, Vijayan AP, Weaver JR, Wise JH, Witstok J. 2025. The JWST-PRIMAL archival survey: A JWST/NIRSpec reference sample for the physical properties and Lyman-α absorption and emission of ∼600 galaxies at z = 5.0-13.4. Astronomy &#38; Astrophysics. 693, A60. 188542025-01-19T23:01:52Z2026-02-16T12:07:37Z