The Metallicity Dependence of PAH Emission in Galaxies II: 2 Insights from JWST/NIRCam Imaging of the Smallest Dust Grains in M101
Abstract
We explore the physical origins of the observed deficit of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at sub-solar metallicity using JWST/NIRCam imaging of the nearby galaxy M101, covering regions from solar metallicity (Z⊙) down to 0.4Z⊙. These maps are used to trace the radial evolution of the shortest-wavelength PAH feature at 3.3 μm, which is emitted preferentially by the smallest PAHs (
Fields of Study & Subjects
Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
Galaxies: Formation
Evolution
Phenomena
Stellar
planetary
and galactic studies
Publication details
- Journal / source
- JPL Data
- Publication date
- 1 January 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Dataset