Unraveling Little Red Dots: Linking JWST Discoveries with Simulations
IFPU
October 27 – October 31 2025
Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have identified a unique population of compact, extreme red sources known as “Little Red Dots”
(LRDs). These objects exhibit red optical and blue UV continua, faint blue UV features,
and often broad Balmer lines, suggesting the presence of Active Galactic Nuclei
(AGNs). Despite spectroscopic follow-ups revealing strong AGN signatures,
interpreting their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) remains challenging, as
traditional galaxy or AGN models fail to reconcile their UV and optical properties.
These sources can be game changers in the quest for understanding galaxy evolution.
The goal of this Focus Week is to bring together researchers working on observations
and simulations to share findings and enhance our understanding of LRDs. This will
also reinforce the link between observers and galaxy formation theorists across
continents, strengthening international collaborations.
In particular, observers are now examining a vast sample of LRDs at z > 4 using
exquisite photometric and spectroscopic JWST data to understand their nature, taking
advantage of gravitational lensing to probe bright and intrinsically faint populations.
This involves analyzing their spectral properties and fitting SEDs to infer galaxy
characteristics such as stellar mass, metallicity, and dust attenuation, while also
exploring whether LRDs are a population comprising both star-forming and
AGN-hosting galaxies, with unique physical properties.
To complement over hundreds hrs of observations, high-resolution cosmological
simulations offer insights into galaxy formation, AGN feedback, and the role of dust
attenuation. These simulations, paired with radiative transfer calculations, help make
predictions of the multi-wavelength emission from galaxies hosting black holes at high
redshifts, providing critical input for comparing theoretical models with real data.
Meeting program:
Organisers:
- Roberta Tripodi (Astronomical Observatory of Rome)