Calendar of Events

Events Calendar

Paving the Way for Future Space Telescopes with Theory and Simulations

Date and Time: Wednesday, January 18, 2023, 03:30pm - 04:30pm
Location: Room 330W and via Zoom
 

Speaker:  L. Y. Aaron Yung, JWST Postdoctoral Fellow (NPP) Astrophysics Science Division (Code 665) NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Abstract: NASA's most powerful flagship observatory JWST was launched a year ago and is set to uncover the physical origin of our Universe. Within the first few months of scientific operation, observing teams are already reporting galaxies detected at unprecedented distances, equivalent to looking back at a young universe that is only a few percent of its current age. In preparation of the search for distant galaxies, the development and optimization of observing strategies rely on inputs from physical models and simulations. In my dissertation, published in a series of Semi-analytic forecasts for JWST papers, a series of controlled experiments are carried out with the Santa Cruz semi-analytic model to explore how JWST observations can constrain various physical processes that drive galaxy formation. Through this work I also delivered a wide variety of predicted galaxy properties and data products that are made accessible to the community. The development of these forecasts continued as I joined NASA as a postdoctoral fellow, where I explore the role supermassive black holes play in early galaxy formation and expanded my support to future widefield surveys. I will give an overview for the latest observations and showcase some of the latest simulations. I will also cover upcoming flagship observatories and how we are getting ready for them.

Host:  Andrew Baker