galaxy formation and evolution / reionization
In general terms, my research spans from the processes of galaxy formation to phenomenological models of the universe. Currently I focus on two areas: JWST observations of the early phases of galactic evolution, and machine learning techniques for inferring galactic properties. I am a core member of the JWST ultra-deep Cycle 1 Treasury survey UNCOVER, where I lead the spectrophotometric modeling together with Prof. Leja.
My Ph.D. thesis centers on the escape of ionizing radiation and galactic outflows (slides from my AAS dissertation talk). The former concerns the processes in early galaxies that enable a substantial fraction of their Lyman-continuum radiation to escape the dense interstellar medium, driving the cosmic reionization. The latter is on the physical processes governing starburst-driven outflows, which are often invoked as the principal feedback mechanism in models of galaxy formation and evolution.
I have also collaborated on projects on early universe cosmology, such as understanding large-angle anomalies in the Cosmic Microwave Background and developing analysis pipelines for the Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor.
PSU press release: JWST discovery of the second- and fourth-most distant galaxies (space.com, Newsweek, Daily Mail, ...)
NASA/STScI/PSU press release: JWST uncovers new details in Pandora’s Cluster
AAS journal author series: [SII] deficiency and the leakage of ionizing radiation
AAS NOVA research highlights: tracing gas flows out of star-forming galaxies
9 papers (as of 11/2023; click here to view in ADS)
Img: cutout of one of the spec-z > 12 galaxies found in Wang et al 2023a.
46 in total (as of 11/2023; click here to view in ADS)
Img: zoom-in of the A2744 galaxy cluster field;
redshifts and stellar populations properties released with Wang et al 2023b.