Star formation within evolving galaxies: the revolution of the James Webb Space Telescope

Throughout cosmic time, star formation and feedback operating at parsec scales are the key physical processes that govern and regulate lifecycle of galaxies. However, it remains among the most challenging astrophysics problems to study.

This project will focus on: 1. the temporal and morphological evolution of stellar nurseries where newly star clusters have recently formed.  2. The role that clustered star formation plays in evolving galaxies.

Until now progresses in the field have been hampered, but the shared ESA and NASA James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) mission will open our eyes to an unprecedented sensitivity and resolution at new wavelengths ranges.

Among the approved pathfinder’s programs, I have secured observing time as principal investigator of the JWST-FEAST program.

The JWST-FEAST observation will probe the time scales of emerging phases of star clusters and the morphological evolution of the stellar nurseries in galaxies that are representative of the star formation spectrum accessible in the local universe.

I will have access, via international collaborations, to JWST imaging and spectroscopic observations of young lensed galaxies where I will study the physical properties of star-forming clumps and star clusters between redshift 6 and 1.

The results of this project, achieved with funding for a post-doctoral fellow and my own research time, will build a coherent view of the star formation process and feedback operating withing galaxies across cosmic times.