Speaker
Description
JWST has provided an abundance of spectroscopic and photometric data during the Epoch of Reionisation and beyond. However, understanding the underlying physics of galaxies during these early epochs remains a formidable challenge as we rely on biased observational methodologies such as SED fitting to interpret the data and compare to simulations. I will present results from zoom-in re-simulations of the THESAN box, which use the state-of-the-art AREPO-RT radiation hydrodynamics code with a variation of the SMUGGLE galaxy formation model. I will demonstrate our methodology to fully forward model observations with the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code COLT, utilising a novel post-processing approach to complement the rich on-the-fly physics and obtain reliable continuum, collisional line, and recombination line maps. I will show how we compare emission line ratios from our simulated galaxies to deep JWST spectroscopic surveys such as JADES to robustly investigate star formation and feedback models, including early stellar and SN feedback, as well as explore the evolution of the IMF. Furthermore, I will show how different stellar feedback models and modes of quenching (e.g. starvation, internal feedback, external radiative feedback) relate to the ionising escape fractions of galaxies, and how this can affect our understanding of which galaxies are primarily responsible for reionising the universe.
