Simulating Galaxies for JWST

Presenter: Pedro Jesus Quiñonez

Presenter Status: Undergraduate student

Academic Year: 22-23

Semester: Spring

Faculty Mentor: Thomas Targett

Department: Physics & Astronomy

Screenshot URL: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1sKMFR2S6BgQe8VgaGwkaKQqJipp-YG3-

Abstract:
As the universe expands, the earliest galaxies experience redshift due to the doppler effect. To study these earliest galaxies, the JWST has been launched as the next class of space telescope that can detect infrared radiation. A project was undertaken to simulate high redshift galaxies using JWST's instrumentation to enable a comparison with real data, and extract meaningful scientific insights. The Sérsic model was utilized to simulate each galaxy, resulting in a spread-out light profile for spiral galaxies and a more concentrated light profile for elliptical galaxies. The galaxies were created at varying brightness levels, demonstrating how they become undetectable when dimmer than JWST's limiting magnitude.