Illuminating the Galactic Baryon Cycle at Cosmic Noon

The DGCE SIG seminar will be held virtually on 26 February 2026 at 4:00pm ET / 1:00pm PT.

Tucker Jones will speak on "Illuminating the Galactic Baryon Cycle at Cosmic Noon." He will describe how the formation of galaxies is regulated by large-scale inflows and outflows of gas, a process known as the baryon cycle.

Because the gas emits almost no light, it is most clearly seen in absorption against bright background sources. Strongly gravitationally lensed galaxies provide magnified views that enable spatial mapping of inflowing, outflowing, and circumgalactic gas, with a focus on cosmic noon at redshifts z~2—the peak of cosmic star formation and baryon cycling activity.

Results to date support a picture in which nearly ubiquitous outflows at cosmic noon create a reservoir of metal-enriched circumgalactic gas that can recycle to sustain star formation at later times. Join the seminar.

baryon cycle, cosmic noon, tucker jones, lensed galaxies, circumgalactic gas, outflows, inflows, z~2, absorption spectroscopy, metal enriched