Interpreting Galaxy Properties with Improved Modelling

TL;DR

This paper reviews current models of stellar populations, emphasizing the importance of massive stars and their binary interactions in interpreting distant galaxy observations, especially with upcoming JWST data.

Contribution

It provides a concise overview of the state of binary stellar population synthesis models relevant for high-redshift galaxy studies.

Findings

Highlights the significance of massive stars in galaxy evolution.

Discusses uncertainties in modelling massive stars and binaries.

Emphasizes the role of upcoming JWST observations in testing models.

Abstract

Observations of star-forming galaxies in the distant Universe have confirmed the importance of massive stars in shaping galaxy emission and evolution. Distant stellar populations are unresolved, and the limited data available must be interpreted in the context of stellar population models. Understanding these populations, and their evolution with age and heavy element content is key to interpreting processes such as supernovae, cosmic reionization and the chemical enrichment of the Universe. With the upcoming launch of JWST and observations of galaxies within a billion years of the Big Bang, the uncertainties in modelling massive stars - particularly their interactions with binary companions - are becoming increasingly important to our interpretation of the high redshift Universe. In turn, observations of distant stellar populations provide ever stronger tests against which to gauge the success of, and flaws in, current massive star models. Here we briefly review the current status binary stellar population synthesis.