Investigating galaxy formation and evolution: from Herschel and ALMA to JWST and beyond (astronomy and astrophysics)

Understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies is one of the key objectives in modern cosmology.
The recent observations carried out at far-infrared to submillimeter wavelengths with the Herschel space observatory are providing unique constraints on the statistical properties of galaxies at the peak of the cosmic star formation activity in the Universe, when most of the light from newly born stars was hidden by dust. By combining Herschel data with those produced by other surveys and by dedicated follow-up observations (with, e.g. the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, ALMA) of dusty star-forming galaxies, we are developing a coherent picture for the evolution of (massive) galaxies and their interplay with the supermassive black hole at their center. The student will take part in the in scientific exploitation of all these data sets. He/she will measure fundamental statistics like number counts, luminosity functions and spatial/angular correlation functions of dusty galaxies and will interpret these measurements using a physical model for the formation and evolution of galaxies currently under development here in Cardiff. The student will use the model to guide the interpretation of new data collected by the James Webb space telescope and to make predictions (and eventually guide new science cases) for surveys to be carried out with the Square Kilometer Array and other future observatories.
The project will be carried out in collaboration with other institutes, like the Universities of Padova (Italy) and of University of Bologna (Italy) and the International School for Advanced Studies (ISAS/SISSA) in Trieste (Italy), thus giving the student opportunities for travelling and for interacting with people outside UK.