Title: A 13-Gyr View of Galaxy Growth and Baryon Cycle with JWST 3D Spectroscopy

Speaker: Professor Xin Wang (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Time: 10:30am, June 15, 2026

Location: 3-402, PMO Xianlin Campus

Abstract: Using state-of-the-art analysis techniques, we present new JWST results combining NIRISS/NIRCam wide-field slitless spectroscopy (WFSS) and NIRSpec multi-object slit-stepping spectroscopy. These complementary datasets open a new window for unbiased investigations of star formation, feedback, and ISM properties from the epoch of reionization (EoR) to cosmic noon. We perform the first spatially resolved analysis of high-z galaxies with JWST WFSS, obtaining the first gas-phase metallicity radial gradient with sub-kpc resolution at z ≥ 3. Extending this analysis to EoR galaxies, we uncover evidence for a rapid transition in galaxy mass assembly and chemical enrichment during the early Universe. We introduce a novel 3D spectroscopic methodology—stepping NIRSpec slits across galaxy surfaces—to obtain spatially resolved chemical and dynamical maps for a sample of 21 galaxies at z~1. These data reveal clear signatures of strong rotational support in galaxies with negative metallicity gradients, consistent with predictions from the FIRE-2 simulations. Together, our results establish a unified picture of galaxy evolution: chemical enrichment is driven by localized star formation in the EoR and by feedback-regulated starbursts at cosmic noon, tracing the baryon cycle across ~13 Gyrs of cosmic history.