The Spectral Energy Distribution of high redshift galaxies: lessons learned and open questions.

Sexten Center for Astrophysics

January 26‐30 2015

Aim of the workshop

This workshop is organized under the auspices of the ASTRODEEP project and is devoted to discuss what can be learned about the Spectral Energy Distribution of high redshift galaxies. We aim at bringing together members of the CANDELS and the GOODS-Herschel collaborations, as well as external scientists interested in the topics.

Scientific rationale

Multiwavelength photometry turned out to be one of the most powerful approaches to study galaxy evolution. Thanks to the dramatic technological improvements we have witnessed in recent years, full panchromatic information from X-rays to radio is available of large samples of galaxies at high redshift. This large amount of complementary data allow us to understand the physical processes at play and to observe them at different cosmic epochs, provided that sophisticated techniques are adopted to measure the spectro-photometry and to reconstruct the galaxy Spectral Energy Distribution.

Despite its potentials, the full informational content of galaxy SED is still difficult to extract, due to both the technical challenges in the extraction of a self-consistent spectro-photometry over a full wavelength range, and to the difficulties in reconstructing the physical parameters of the emitting sources.

This workshop aims at gathering experts from both the CANDELS and the GOODS-HERSCHEL teams to discuss the latest results and open problems in these fields. Selected scientists from other teams will also be invited, in order to put the discussion in a broader context.

 

Topics

Topics to be covered are:

  • Methods for optimal photometry over a large wavelength and spatial resolution range;
  • Synthetic templates for SED fitting techniques;
  • Optimal use of spectroscopic data;
  • The consistency of spectral identification at different wavelengths: Differentiating AGN and starburst galaxies at different wavelengths;
  • Rest frame properties of high redshift galaxies and AGN:
  • Star formation indicators at various wavelengths;
  • Estimate of metallicity and its impact on the global properties;
  • The evolution of stellar masses in high redshift galaxies;
  • The evolution of dust and dust-to-gas content in high redshift galaxies

 

Workshop location and format 

The workshop attendance will be limited to about 40-50 scientists. The format allows ample time for presentations (all oral, no poster is foreseen) and for interactive work among the participants. The workshop will be hosted by the Sexten Center for Astrophysics (SCfA), located in Sexten (Italy). The main aim of SCfA is organising and hosting every year small and medium-size workshops and schools, in order to offer to scientists, working in the fields of Astrophysics, Cosmology and Physics, the opportunity to meet in an informal environment and to carry out collaborative work. It already hosted two CANDELS meeting in the last three years.
SOC:

  • A. Fontana (Chair)
  • A. Comastri
  • J. Dunlop
  • D. Elbaz
  • H. Ferguson
  • S. Faber