A new preprint posted on arXiv (2604.00104) reports that the Kormendy Relation - a well-known correlation between a spheroidal galaxy's effective radius and its average surface brightness - already existed at redshifts of 6 and higher, when the universe was less than one billion years old. Using publicly available deep JWST near-infrared images from the GOODS, CEERS, PRIMER-UDS, and PRIMER-COSMOS fields, the authors measured rest-frame B-band structural parameters for a sample of early spheroidal systems. The exact sample size is not stated in the abstract, limiting immediate assessment of statistical power. As this is a preprint and not yet peer-reviewed, the results should be treated as preliminary pending independent verification.

The best-fit relation shows a notably steeper slope (β ≈ 4.25) and higher zero-point than the local version, meaning these infant galaxies were both more compact and possessed higher central stellar densities. The authors interpret this as evidence of rapid, dissipative assembly driven by high gas fractions, efficient inflows, and gas-rich mergers. They also note dense bulges in some systems at similar epochs, suggesting shared formation channels.

This finding connects directly to the heated JWST-era debate over 'impossibly mature' early galaxies. Since 2022, multiple teams using JWST have reported unexpectedly bright, massive, and chemically enriched galaxies at z>7, challenging standard ΛCDM simulations that predicted slower hierarchical buildup. The current work on the Kormendy Relation adds a structural dimension: not only were these galaxies massive, but their internal architecture already followed scaling laws seen in today's ellipticals.

What the original preprint under-emphasizes is the tension with cosmological simulations. Models such as those from the IllustrisTNG and EAGLE projects struggle to produce such dense, compact systems so early without invoking extreme star-formation efficiencies or modified feedback physics. Synthesizing this with two related studies strengthens the picture: a 2023 Astrophysical Journal Letters paper (arXiv:2305.15465) on compact quiescent candidates at z≈5-7 and the JADES survey results (Nature Astronomy, 2023) documenting rapid mass assembly in the first 500 million years both align with the dissipative pathway described here. Previous coverage often focused solely on stellar mass or luminosity functions; this structural analysis reveals that the 'maturity' problem extends to morphology and dynamics.

Limitations of the study include possible selection biases toward the brightest or most compact objects in deep fields, uncertainties in redshift estimates, and the assumption that rest-frame B-band parameters translate cleanly to stellar-mass distributions. Future larger samples from wider JWST surveys will be needed to confirm whether the relation holds across the full population or only the densest subset. Overall, these results suggest the first spheroids formed in a violent, gas-dominated epoch that set their fundamental scaling relations remarkably early, forcing theorists to revisit how quickly baryonic matter can collapse and organize in the infant universe.