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| Paper: |
Probing the Full Depth of ISM Properties with a UV-IFU |
| Monograph: |
10, HWO25 Proceedings Part I: Community Science Case Development Documents |
| Page: |
111 |
| Authors: |
Bethan James; Danielle Berg |
| DOI: |
10.26624/ONCI3042 |
| Abstract: |
Understanding the origin, distribution, and evolution of the elements that shape galaxies and enable life—such as carbon, nitrogen, silicon, and oxygen—is one of the central challenges in modern astrophysics. While
optical and infrared observations have provided important insights, key diagnostic transitions for these elements lie in the rest-frame ultraviolet (UV), and remain largely inaccessible at high spatial resolution. This
science case outlines the transformative potential of a UV integral field unit (IFU) aboard the Habitable Worlds
Observatory (HWO) to map spatially resolved UV emission and absorption in nearby star-forming galaxies
that serve as analogs to high-redshift systems. By resolving sub-100 pc structures, HWO will enable detailed
studies of chemical enrichment, stellar feedback, gas mixing, and multi-phase element distribution across
different environments. We present four science objectives: (1) tracing the spatial scale and mechanisms of
chemical mixing; (2) connecting massive stars and feedback to local ISM conditions; (3) disentangling enrichment timescales from different stellar populations; and (4) assessing the role of environment on element
distributions. These goals require contiguous, high-resolution UV spectroscopy to access emission lines like
N IV] λλ1483,1487, C IV λλ1548,1550, Si III] λλ1883,1892, N III] λ1750, and C III] λλ1907,1909, as well
as stellar and interstellar absorption features. The unprecedented combination of spatial, spectral, and wavelength coverage of an HWO IFU will provide a breakthrough view onto the small-scale physics that regulates
galaxy evolution, bridging our understanding from the Milky Way to the early universe. |
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