ASTRO2020 White Paper: JWST: Probing the Epoch of Reionization with a Wide Field Time-Domain Survey

TL;DR

This white paper advocates for a wide field, time-domain survey with JWST in the 2-5 μm range to explore the early universe, black holes, supernovae, and cosmic background at high redshifts, enabling diverse astrophysical studies.

Contribution

It proposes a novel, large-scale JWST survey strategy to probe the epoch of reionization and early cosmic phenomena, filling a gap in current observational capabilities.

Findings

Potential to discover early black holes and supernovae

Enables studies of cosmic infrared background

Supports galaxy evolution research up to z~10

Abstract

A major scientific goal of JWST is to probe the epoch of re-ionization of the Universe at z above 6, and up to 20 and beyond. At these redshifts, galaxies are just beginning to form and the observable objects are early black holes, supernovae, and cosmic infrared background. The JWST has the necessary sensitivity to observe these targets individually, but a public deep and wide science enabling survey in the wavelength range from 2-5 $\mu$m is needed to discover these black holes and supernovae and to cover the area large enough for cosmic infrared background to be reliably studied. This enabling survey will also discover a large number of other transients and enable sciences such as supernova cosmology up to z $\sim$ 5, star formation history at high redshift through supernova explosions, faint stellar objects in the Milky Way, and galaxy evolution up to z approaching 10. The results of this survey will also serve as an invaluable target feeder for the upcoming era of ELT and SKA.