Grants and Contributions

this program leverages the unique spectroscopic and imaging capabilities of JWST to measure the chemical composition, velocities, and ages of stars across the disk of the Andromeda galaxy (M31) in a level of detail that has, until JWST, only been possible within our own Milky Way galaxy. This novel dataset will provide the first spatial profile of detailed star-by-star stellar chemistry in an external spiral galaxy as well as the most precise constraints on the historical star formation of M31’s inner disk to date.

This project will observe the mid-IR thermal emission of the recently discovered cool exo-Earth LP 791-18d to determine whether an atmosphere is present or not. LP 791- 18d orbits a nearby M6 dwarf and is proposed to be volcanically active due to strong tidal heating of its interior, similar to Jupiter's moon Io. The volcanic activity would result in continuous replenishment of LP 791-18d's atmosphere, which our observations will probe for. The presence of an atmosphere on LP 791-18d would be a first signal that cool rocky planet around M dwarf can host atmospheres, motivating a larger campaign to probe the prevalence and diversity of secondary atmospheres.

Early stages of galaxy formation are thought to involve repeated cycles of merging sub-galactic building blocks, accompanied by tidally induced bursts of star formation. To test this scenario, this project uses JWST’s Integral Field Spectrograph to observationally and in detail examine an archetypical example of such a merging system that we discovered just one billion years after the Big Bang. With these data, the team will examine the conditions in this interacting galaxy pair, including the conditions in the interstellar gas in the system. The analysis of this data will shed new light on the early phases of the formation of galaxies like our own Milky Way.

Isolated brown dwarfs are good examples of what extrasolar planets look like, while also being much easier to study as their observations are not hindered by the glare of a host star. This project will study how the content and properties of brown dwarf clouds depend on the temperature and pressure in their atmospheres, and thereby on their age. The observations will be very important for understanding the clouds and atmospheres of both brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets, and for interpreting future observations with JWST.

This project aims to explore the mysteries of dark matter and galaxy formation using the Bullet Cluster as a cosmic laboratory. By leveraging gravitational lensing, this project will study how dark matter interacts and behaves, providing insights into whether cold dark matter or alternative theories, like self-interacting dark matter, better explain the universe's composition. The project combines data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and high-resolution weak lensing to accurately map the cluster's mass distribution. The second key goal focuses on newly discovered, highly magnified galaxies at high redshifts (z>5) to enhance our understanding of galaxy formation during the universe's early epochs.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will observe the planetary nebula Tc 1, known for its abundance of fullerenes, a type of carbon molecule shaped like a soccer ball. These observations aim to understand the nebula’s unique composition and the role of fullerenes in space. The analysis will determine the types and amounts of elements and molecules in Tc 1. This will help in understanding how fullerenes form and survive in space. The results will provide insights into the lifecycle of stars and the physical and chemical processes in the universe, and the role of large carbonaceous molecules in the evolution of stars and planets.

This project will analyze JWST observations of the Red Rectangle, a unique nebula surrounding an evolved star, that exhibits all these signatures of carbonaceous dust at the same time. The team will spatially characterize the spectral properties of these carbonaceous components and use their emission to establish the inventory of carbonaceous species at each location, and map the growth of molecules and trace the processing induced by UV radiation. This will result in a thorough understanding of the formation of carbonaceous species in evolved stars and the impact of photo-chemistry of these species.

This investigation will analyze the infrared spectra (JWST/NIRSpec and JWST/MIRI-MRS) of seven carbon-rich stars in the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds that represent different stages in the evolution from red giants to planetary nebulae. Their spectra exhibit a variety of features from simple species (like acetylene, C2H2) to more complex chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This investigation will exploit the unprecedented combination of spectral resolution, wavelength coverage, and sensitivity offered by NIRSpec and the MRS to explore the chemistry of complex hydrocarbons as carbon stars evolve into planetary nebulae. The resulting spectra will sample the gas and dust at different stages of evolution as carbon-rich objects seed their host galaxies with fresh dust.

Measuring its mass and orbit will allow us to learn more about how giant planets form and cool over billions of years, and ultimately end up like (or unlike) our own solar system’s Jupiter and Saturn.

This project will support the 2016 ExoMars TGO/CaSSIS mission operations and science. Science investigations under the Impact Cratering and Composition & Photometry science theme groups are emphasized herein. Impact cratering has shaped the geology of Mars and influenced volatile exchange between its lithosphere, hydrosphere/cryosphere, and atmosphere. These interactions are recorded in surface minerals revealing a complex history and insights into both past and present processes, climate and habitability.