A study of star-forming clumps and their host galaxies : insights from HST and JWST observations
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Until recently, our view of star-formation in distant galaxies in the universe, particularly between redshifts 1 < z < 3, has largely been shaped by Hubble observations, which reveal that galaxies during this epoch are often irregular and clumpy in morphology. It is estimated that approximately 50% of star-forming galaxies (SFGs) at these redshifts host clumps: compact, massive regions of intense star formation that may play a critical role in driving the growth and evolution of their host systems. Gaining a deeper understanding of the formation, lifetimes, and physical properties of these substructures is essential for understanding how galaxies assemble, distribute, and regulate their stellar mass across cosmic time. In this PhD dissertation, we combine observations from both the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to significantly advance our understanding of massive star-forming clumps and their role in galaxy evolution. We analyze UV- and IR-bright samples from the HST/CANDELS, JWST/JADES and JWST/CEERS surveys within several detection and physical property analysis studies to provide a complete (in stellar mass and age) sample of clumps from low- to high-redshift systems (0.5 < z < 5). This work addresses three central questions: (1) What host galaxy environments are most conducive to clump formation? (2) How far into the early universe can clumpy substructures now be studied with the addition of JWST observations? And (3) what do improved physical property estimates reveal about the formation and evolution of clumps across cosmic time?
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Ph. D