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Rationale

The unparalleled near-infrared capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) allow us to study distant galaxies in remarkable detail. This has ushered in a new era of galaxy evolution studies. With new knowledge of the properties of the stars, gas and dust that make up these early galaxies, we can now start to gain insights into the physical processes driving the assembly of the earliest galaxies, and how they evolve into their lower redshift descendants.

This conference will be an opportunity to highlight recent observational and theoretical results shedding new light on the detailed properties of the stellar populations and interstellar medium (ISM) of galaxies through the early phases of cosmic history. It will also serve as a forum for discussing how new JWST results are transforming our understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies from early times through to the present day.

Scientific Focus

  • Nature of stellar populations in distant galaxies

  • Properties of the interstellar medium across redshifts

  • Chemical enrichment and build-up of dust across cosmic time

  • Spatially resolved studies of galaxies and their environments

  • Impact of galaxies on cosmic reionization

  • How can simulations and theory help interpret the latest observations

  • Feedback and regulating galaxy growth

  • The growth of supermassive black holes in the early Universe

Confirmed invited speakers

Danielle Berg (UT Austin)
Stefano Carniani (SNS Pisa)
Mirko Curti (ESO Garching)
Ryan Endsley (UT Austin)
Anna de Graaff (MPIA Heidelberg)
Harley Katz (U Chicago)
Charlotte Mason (DAWN Copenhagen)
Irene Shivaei (CAB Madrid)

Important dates

Abstract submission opens: 18 October 2024
Abstract submission closes: 20 December 2024
Program announced: early-February 2025
Registration closes: 1 March 2025

Meeting: 7-11 April 2025

SOC

Rebecca Bowler (Manchester)
Andy Bunker (Oxford, co-chair)
Alex Cameron (Oxford, co-chair)
Emma Curtis-Lake (Hertfordshire)
Richard Ellis (UCL)
Laura Pentericci (INAF-Rome)
Aayush Saxena (Oxford, co-chair)
Stephen Wilkins (Sussex)

LOC

Kit Boyett
Andy Bunker
Alex Cameron
Leanne O’Donnell
Gareth Jones
Aayush Saxena

 

For queries, please get in touch with us at firstgalaxies@physics.ox.ac.uk!

Location

The conference will be held in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford, which is centrally located. Oxford is a historic city with stunning architecture and many attractions, and is within easy access of London and Heathrow airport. We intend to have a free afternoon on Wednesday, and the meeting will end early on Friday afternoon.

We will reserve some College bedrooms for those looking for less expensive accommodation than hotels. Details will be announced shortly.