gaLAxies duriNg The Epoch of ReionizatioN

Our understanding of the first billion years of the Universe, specifically the initial 500 million years, remains quite limited. Until last year (prior to the James Webb Space Telescope launch), only one galaxy had been detected during this period. Since then, the number of candidates from these epochs has surged.

This newfound abundance of candidates offers an unprecedented opportunity to delve into a crucial phase known as the epoch of reionization (EoR) marking the Universe's last major gas-phase transition in cosmic history when all the neutral hydrogen gas between galaxies produced by the Big Bang became fully ionized.

The actors of this transitional period, the mechanisms underlying its emergence, and the physical properties of galaxies during this period are still mainly unknown.

Thus, my research aims to probe the fundamental physics governing these galaxies (particularly their density, luminosity, and stellar mass) and investigate if these properties align with our theoretical framework and hydrodynamic simulations. Preliminary studies, including mine, indicate an excess of bright galaxies compared to the models.

I aim to unambiguously quantify the excess of bright galaxies during the EoR, characterize their properties, and investigate the underlying physical phenomena that have driven these galaxies to acquire such properties. In particular, I aim to unveil the emergence of dust during the EoR.

The core of this research revolves around leveraging the complementarity between the JWST through the COSMOS-Web program – the largest JWST program designed for detecting these galaxies and for which I am one of the architects - and the Euclid telescope.The outstanding research environment at AIM (host institute) along with my supervisor's expertise offer optimal conditions to enhance my career prospects.

Returning to Europe and elevating my profile on national and European platforms through this fellowship align seamlessly with my career's natural progression.