Brandon Hensley (JPL): "The Nature of Dust in the Age of JWST and Prospects for SPHEREx and PRIMA"

Observing the emission from dust in galaxies is a window into how they form stars, manufacture heavy elements (i.e., metals), and build complex molecules. I will begin by describing JWST observations of carbon-based molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), emphasizing how our understanding of the lifecycle of PAHs is changing with the new data. I will then preview how SPHEREx observations of PAH emission in the Milky Way will be critical for understanding how PAHs form, grow, and are destroyed. Next I will introduce PRIMA, a Probe-class mission concept currently under review, highlighting its ability to measure PAHs across cosmic time beyond the reaches of JWST and thus coevolution of PAHs and metals. Finally, I will turn to larger dust grains and how PRIMA's polarimetric capabilities will test theories of how these grains evolve from pristine stellar ejecta to materials that have been processed in the interstellar medium. Please join the Caltech/IPAC Seminar Mailing list to obtain the latest information.