The James Webb Space Telescope: Discoveries and Puzzles from the First Year

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revolutionized our understanding of the Universe, allowing astronomers to study galaxies that were forming just after the Big Bang during so-called "Cosmic Dawn." There have been many surprises that are challenging theories of galaxy formation and evolution, including the discovery of unexpectedly bright galaxies and supermassive black holes in the very young Universe. Dr. Allison Strom will review what astronomers have learned from the first year of JWST observations, including work by her own team, who have recently uncovered evidence of rarely seen elements like nickel in galaxies that were forming more than ten billion years ago.

Allison Strom is an Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Northwestern University and a core faculty member of the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA). She received a PhD in astrophysics from the California Institute of Technology in 2017, an MPhil in astronomy from the University of Cambridge in 2011, and a BS in physics and astronomy from the University of Arizona in 2010. The principal goal of her research is to understand the origin of mature galaxies like our own Milky Way, which is a longstanding open question in astronomy. Prof. Strom uses some of the largest telescopes on the ground and in space to answer this question by studying "teenaged" galaxies that were forming in the early universe.