Program Details

• Keywords

  Circumstellar Matter
  Dust
  HII Regions
  Interstellar Medium
  Molecular Clouds

• Investigators

  Alain Abergel
  Edwin Anthony Bergin
  Jeronimo Bernard-Salas 
  Emeric Bron 
  Jan Cami
  Stephanie Cazaux
  Emmanuel Dartois 
  Asuncion Fuente 
  Javier Goicoechea 
  Karl D. Gordon 
  Yoko Okada 
  Takashi Onaka
  Massimo Robberto
  Markus Roellig 
  Alexander G. G. M. Tielens 
  Silvia Vicente 
  Mark Wolfire 

• Abstract

  Massive stars disrupt their natal molecular cloud material by dissociating molecules, ionizing atoms and molecules, and heating the gas and dust. These processes drive the evolution of interstellar matter in our Galaxy and throughout the Universe from the era of vigorous star formation at redshifts of 1-3, to the present day. Much of this interaction occurs in Photo-Dissociation Regions (PDRs) where far-ultraviolet photons of these stars create a largely neutral, but warm region of gas and dust. PDR emission dominates the IR spectra of star-forming galaxies and also provides a unique tool to study in detail the physical and chemical processes that are relevant for most of the mass in inter- and circumstellar media including diffuse clouds, protoplanetary disk -and molecular cloud surfaces, globules, planetary nebulae, and starburst galaxies. 

  We propose to provide template datasets designed to identify key PDR characteristics in JWST spectra in order to guide the preparation of Cycle 2 proposals on star-forming regions in our Galaxy and beyond. We plan to obtain the first spatially resolved, high spectral resolution IR observations of a PDR using NIRCam, NIRSpec and MIRI. These data will test widely used theoretical models and extend them into the JWST era.

• Instrument and Mode

  MIRI: Medium Resolution Spectroscopy; Imaging
  NIRCAM: Imaging
  NIRSPEC: IFU Spectroscopy

• What Does the Program Enable for the User Community?

  • Maps of spectral features
  • Template spectra 
  • Spectral order stitching and stitched cubes
  • Images/spectra cross-calibration
  • pyPAHFIT+ (tool to decompose the spectra into PAH bands, gas lines and dust continuum components) 
  • Line catalog (HII region, Ionization Front, Dissociation Front, molecular zone)
  • H2 fitting tool (tool for analysis of H2 lines)
  • PDR model toolbox (tool to derive the physical conditions)
  • PAHdb spectral analysis tool (decomposition of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon or PAH emission)
  • Ionized gas lines toolbox

• How Will You Engage the User Community?

  • Telecons open to the community will be organized on a regular basis
  • Community workshop
  • People interested are welcome to register on our website to keep posted and participate
  • JWebbinar 15 - PDRs4all - Simulate NIRCam Observations of an Extended Source. The associated materials and videos can be found on the JWebbinars page.
  • JWebbinar 23 - PDRs4ALL: Community Telecons in Support of JWST Cycle 2 Proposals. The associated materials and videos can be found on the JWebbinars page.

• Deliverables

  https://pdrs4all.org/seps/

• Team Website URL

  https://pdrs4all.org