James Trussler

Education

2016–2020: PhD in Physics, University of Cambridge, UK. Thesis: "Unveiling the Primary Quenching Mechanisms in Galaxies through Large Spectroscopic Surveys." Supervisor: Roberto Maiolino

2015–2016: MASt in Physics, University of Cambridge, UK. Distinction (79.0%). Research Project: "Exploring the Ionisation Mechanisms in Blue Compact Dwarf Galaxies with the Hubble Space Telescope." Supervisors: Dr Bethan James & Roberto Maiolino

2012–2015: BSc in Physics, Imperial College London, UK. 1^st class (84.9%).

Research interests

Galaxy evolution

• The quenching of star formation
• The role of internal and external processes in galaxy evolution
• The evolution of galaxy scaling relations across cosmic time
• The assembly of the first star-forming and passive galaxies
• The stellar populations of galaxies

Chemical enrichment and the interstellar medium

• The stellar metallicity of star-forming, green valley and passive galaxies
• Analytical modelling of the evolution of the gas and chemical content of galaxies
• The observability and identification of Population III galaxies with JWST and beyond

Large spectroscopic galaxy surveys

• Optical/NIR multi-object spectroscopy: SDSS-II, MOONS, NIRSpec
• Integral field spectroscopy: SDSS-IV MaNGA, NIRSpec
• Spectral fitting of stellar continuum and emission-lines with pPXF and FIREFLY

Optical/NIR imaging surveys

• Colour selection and SED fitting to identify high-redshift and Pop III galaxies
• Colour analysis and SED fitting to constrain the stellar populations of high-redshift galaxies: star formation histories, stellar metallicities, stellar ages
• Searching for and analysing high-redshift protoclusters
• Analysis of the morphologies of high-redshift passive galaxies

Publications

Key publications

On the observability and identification of Population III galaxies with JWST

Trussler, J., Conselice, C., Adams, N., Maiolino, R., Nakajima, K., Zackrisson, E., Ferreira, L., 2022, arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2211.02038

Seeing sharper and deeper: JWST's first glimpse of the photometric and spectroscopic properties of galaxies in the epoch of reionisation

Trussler, J., Adams, N., Conselice, C., Ferreira, L., Austin, D., Bhatawdekar, R., Caruana, J., Lovell, C., Roper, W., Verma, A., Vijayan, A., Wilkins, S., 2022, arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.14265

The weak imprint of environment on the stellar populations of galaxies

Trussler, J., Maiolino, R., Maraston, C., Peng, Y., Thomas, D., Goddard, D., Lian, J., 2021, MNRAS, 500, 4469.

Both starvation and outflows drive galaxy quenching

Trussler, J., Maiolino, R., Maraston, C., Peng, Y., Thomas, D., Goddard, D., Lian, J., 2020, MNRAS, 491, 5406.

Other publications

The extension of the fundamental metallicity relation beyond the BPT star-forming sequence: Evidence for both gas accretion and starvation

Kumari, N., Maiolino, R., Trussler, J., Mannucci, F., Cresci, G., Curti, M., Marconi, A., Belfiore, F., 2021, A&A, 656, 140.

How do central and satellite galaxies quench? -- Insights from spatially resolved spectroscopy in the MaNGA survey

Bluck, A., Maiolino, R., Piotrowska, J., Trussler, J., Ellison, S., Sánchez, S., Thorp, M., Teimoorinia, H., Moreno, J., Conselice, C., 2020, MNRAS, 499, 230.

MOONS: The New Multi-Object Spectrograph for the VLT

Cirasuolo et al., 2020, The Messenger, 180, 10.

Involvement

• Member of the Windhorst Webb Medium Deep Fields JWST GTO survey
• Member of the MOONS Consortium extragalactic GTO survey MOONRISE

Organisation

09/2022: Scientific Organising Committee, Charting the metallicity evolution history of the Universe, Catania, Italy

01/2022–ongoing: JWST Manchester Meeting organiser/leader, University of Manchester

09/2020: Local Organising Committee, The Epoch of Galaxy Quenching Virtual Meeting 2020, Cambridge, UK

10/2019–03/2020: Extragalactic research group meeting organiser/leader, Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge

07/2018: Local Organising Committee, The Laws of Star Formation: From the Cosmic Dawn to the Present Universe, Cambridge, UK

Teaching

2021: Supervisor for third year undergraduate Physics course (Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics), University of Cambridge

2019: Undergraduate Admissions Interviewer for Natural Sciences, Jesus College, University of Cambridge

2019: Undergraduate Admissions Interviewer for Chemical Engineering, Jesus College, University of Cambridge

2018: Reserve supervisor for fourth year undergraduate Physics course (Formation of Structure in the Universe), University of Cambridge

2017–2019: Supervisor for first year Mathematics course, University of Cambridge

Outreach

03/2022: "A cosmic treasure hunt! The James Webb's search for the first jewels in the night sky" outreach talk, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge

09/2021: "Why do galaxies die?" outreach talk (invited), Cambridge Astronomical Association & Cambridge Young Astronomers

02/2021: "The Hubble Space Telescope: Celebrating 30 Years of Discovery" outreach talk, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge

11/2020: "Why do galaxies die?" outreach talk, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge

10/2020: "Why do galaxies die?" outreach talk, Cambridge University Astronomical Society, University of Cambridge

06/2020: "Why do galaxies die?" article, Kavli Institute for Cosmology, Cambridge Annual Report 2019, University of Cambridge