GALPHYS · Uncovering the inner workings of galaxies at cosmic noon

Lookback studies have assembled a fairly complete census of galaxies over 85% of cosmic time and established that the bulk of stars, which today reside in massive ellipticals and spirals, formed rapidly at redshift z~1–3. Most of this star formation took place in massive gas-rich, turbulent disks, which already followed tight scaling relations in their global properties, and in which dense bulges, fast growing central black holes, and galactic winds were ubiquitous. The next frontier is to uncover the physical mechanisms inside galaxies that govern the buildup of stars and the emergence of galactic structure. This goal can only be reached by resolving gas motions and distributions on the Toomre scale of ~1 kpc at z>1, requiring ~25 times sharper views than typically achieved so far. Revolutionary improvements in observing sensitivity and resolution now make this possible: the advent in 2022 of the most advanced near-IR adaptive optics-assisted integral field spectrograph ERIS at the Very Large Telescope. GALPHYS centers on an ambitious 900-hour ERIS Guaranteed Time program led by the applicant, and exploits key synergies with cutting-edge (sub-)millimeter interferometry at IRAM/NOEMA and ALMA of which the applicant is a core member of Guaranteed and Open Time programs. The requested 3 postdoc and 2 PhD positions are required for the PI to establish a research group to execute the program. GALPHYS will produce breakthroughs in the most important, outstanding issues in galaxy evolution: (1) mass and angular momentum transport, (2) the origin of gas turbulence, (3) the evolution of giant star-forming complexes, and (4) the physics of outflows powered by stellar and AGN feedback. GALPHYS will provide excellent training for junior scientists and an unmatched benchmark of lasting legacy in galaxy evolution.