The Star Formation and Chemical Enrichment Histories of Galaxies in the Early Universe

Speaker: Charity Woodrum

Date: Monday April 28, 2025

Time: 4:00 – 5:00 pm

Location: 240D Willamette Hall (OMQ Conference Room)

Abstract: One of the most active fields in modern astrophysics is galaxy evolution, with the goal to understand how the first galaxies formed and subsequently evolved across cosmic time. The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has enabled the study of the infant universe in unprecedented detail. In this talk, I will discuss the star formation and chemical enrichment properties of galaxies in the early universe using JWST observations. I will discuss the stellar mass assembly of galaxies and show that changing star formation parameters to reflect the higher temperatures in the infant universe is necessary to interpret JWST observations. As a byproduct of star formation, dust is one of the fundamental components of a galaxy. I will discuss the evolution of the dust content of galaxies and show some new findings that are one of the current challenges to explain.

Host: Yvette Cendes