Dissecting Dust in the Distant Universe: A Panchromatic Study with JWST and ALMA

Introduction

At the core of galaxy evolution is the evolution of the baryonic components that modify the observable properties of galaxies. A crucial component of the baryonic matter is the interstellar medium (ISM) that consists of gas and solid-phase metals called dust.

Importance of Interstellar Dust

Interstellar dust determines how galaxies look from UV to IR, how the ISM behaves, and the very process of star formation that creates the stellar component that defines a galaxy. Despite our wealth of knowledge about dust in local galaxies, very little is known about the properties of dust grains, where it resides inside galaxies, and how it is formed, beyond the nearby Universe (i.e., at high redshifts).

Need for Advancing Knowledge

The fundamental importance of advancing our knowledge about dust at high redshifts is further underlined by the vital need to correct for its attenuation effects in the observed rest-frame UV/optical emission of high-redshift galaxies.

Future Prospects with JWST

This situation will fundamentally change in the next few years owing to the unprecedented capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This ERC program capitalizes on the massive technological advance of JWST to take a holistic approach, physically and observationally, and conduct a panchromatic study of dust emission and absorption properties at two key cosmic epochs:

1. z~1-3, dubbed as Cosmic Noon, the peak epoch of cosmic star formation activity.
2. z~5-10, the early Universe and the epoch of reionization.

Research Strategy

Owing to my leading role in multiple deep extragalactic JWST surveys, my ERC group will take full advantage of the very first data from this revolutionary observatory. This will be done in synergy with ALMA and other powerful ground-based observatories such as VLT and Keck to observe the attenuation and emission properties of dust from rest-frame UV to submm wavelengths at Cosmic Noon and beyond.

Conclusion

This ambitious research program will bring novel key insights into the physical processes that enable star formation and galaxy evolution throughout cosmic time.