USP-trained astrophysicist is the only Brazilian on team to record unpublished images of the Ring Nebula

The researcher graduated from the University of the South Pacific, Isabelle Aleman He is the only Brazilian who was part of the international team of astronomers who recorded unpublished images of Ring Nebula in action with today’s most powerful space telescope, the James Webb (JWST), launched into space on December 25, 2021 by NASA in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Isabel has a BS in Physics from the Institute of Physics (IF) and a Masters and PhD in Science from the Institute for Astronomy, Geophysics, and Atmospheric Sciences (IAG), both at USP.

I have been contributing since the beginning of the project, when the monitoring proposal was submitted. To monitor with James Webb, we have submitted a project within the first regular call for proposals for monitoring. The project is evaluated by a team of specialists and may or may not be approved. The call is very competitive, because there are so many excellent projects entered and only a small portion has been selected, limited by the time available,” says Isabelle, a member of the organizing committee of the International Astronomical Union’s H3 Planetary Nebulae Committee.

She specializes in astrophysics, focusing on the study of the physics and chemistry of photonic nebulae, working primarily with computational simulations of emissions in atomic and molecular lines of nebulae and with analysis of spectral observations in the optical, infrared and sub-millimeter ranges of the radiative range.

The team that includes Isabelle as a member took pictures of the Ring Nebula, also known as Messier 57, because it was Among the most prominent examples of a planetary nebula, which It consists of the remnants of colorful stars that have lost much of their mass at the end of their lives. the pictures It was rendered in unprecedented detail, providing scientists and the public with an unprecedented view of the nebula. Scientists, led by Professor Mike Barlow (UCL, UK), believe the images captured by JWST provide an unparalleled opportunity to study and understand the complex processes that shaped this ‘cosmic masterpiece’.

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On the project, Isabelle contributes spectroscopy data analysis. “In spectroscopy, the instrument used by JWST analyzes light, in this case infrared, and allows studying how the amount of this light varies at each frequency. With this, we can detect which chemical species are present in the nebula and in what quantity, as well as the physical conditions (temperature , density, and degree of ionization) in different regions of this body.” The astrophysicist also notes that “with this information and with the help of models it is possible, for example, to study the physical and chemical mechanisms that occur there and produce that emission that we observe, reconstruct its three-dimensional structure and deduce the properties from the star that ejected it.” Isabelle also explains that a planetary nebula is formed from gas emitted from stars less than about eight solar masses. “The sun, several billion years from now, will become a planetary nebula.” In leading an international collaboration that analyzed one of the first photographs released by James Webb, which resulted in Published article in the journal natural astronomy at the end of last year. “In this article, we studied another nebula that has a ring shape,” he says, adding that the name is similar, but it is a different nebula. For her, he acts in JWST Ring Nebula Project It helps to show that Brazil has high-level astrophysicists, working on projects on the most advanced topics and instruments in the region. “Our astronomy is well listed in the international community of researchers in the region,” he notes. “It is also important to note that, since we are talking about a STEM career (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or STEM in Portuguese), a large part of these researchers are women working with a lot of success in astronomy,” she points out. , indicating that her collaboration arose as a result of a workshop, in 2019, organized by her, WorkPlaNS II: Planetary Nebula Observation Workshop, held in the Netherlands, brought together specialists in the field of planetary nebulae and the like to plan observations to seek to solve the most important questions in the area. “This means that we not only participate in excellent projects, but also help promote them.”

Unpublished photos

“The detail in the images amazed us, better than ever. We always knew planetary nebulae were beautiful. What we’re seeing now is amazing,” said Albert Zylstra, professor of astrophysics at the University of Manchester, in University Outreach.

Barlow, the leading scientist in JWST Ring Nebula ProjectHe added, “The James Webb Space Telescope has provided us with an extraordinary view of the Ring Nebula that we have not seen before. The high-resolution images not only show the intricate details of the expanding envelope of the nebula, but also reveal the inner region around the central white dwarf with remarkable clarity. We can use the Ring Nebula as a laboratory.” ours to study how planetary nebulae form and evolve.”

For Brian Cox, the scientist involved in the project, these images have more than just aesthetic appeal, “they provide a wealth of scientific insights into the processes of stellar evolution.” According to him, studying the Ring Nebula using the James Webb Super Telescope will allow a deeper understanding of the life cycles of stars and the elements they release into the universe.