SCIENCE

The WST will be pivotal, in synergy with other major astronomical facilities in the 2040s, to tackle some of the key open questions in modern astrophysics.

Black holes

Black Holes growth across time and mass

How do supermassive black holes form, and what is the black hole mass function? The statistical power of the WST will be key in investigating intermediate mass black holes and constrain the whole range of black hole population and their influence on galaxies.

Galaxy assembly

Galaxy evolution across all physical scales

An immense range of physical scales, from star formation in parsec-sized molecular clouds to kiloparsec-scale secular evolution and galactic flows, to megaparsec-scale cosmic environments.

Multi-messenger astrophysics

Where gravity, light, and particles meet

Multi-messenger astronomy has been identified as a priority in most major astrophysics planning exercises and will be mainstream in the WST era.

New frontiers in cosmology

The nature of the dark sector and gravity

Understanding how dark matter, dark energy, and gravity shape structure across the Universe requires measurements that span from the smallest galaxies to the largest cosmic environments.

Origins

the Physics of the Early Universe, first stars and first galaxies

One key phase in the early Universe is the so-called Cosmic reionisation, the period when the gas in intergalactic space transitioned from a neutral to fully ionised state.

Star and planet formation

Tracing their formation in different environments

Understanding how stars and plants form is fundamental to addressing several open questions of modern astrophysics, yet we do not have a full comprehension of the process. This impacts multiple fields, from the evolution of galaxies to the origin of our Solar System.

Stars

Stars, their end-points, feedback, and elements production

Understanding how stars live, die, shape their surroundings, and enrich the interstellar medium lies at the heart of almost every major question in astrophysics.

The dynamic Universe

Exploring the ever-changing Universe

Many objects in the Universe are moving, flaring, and transforming — and every change tells a story. Time-variable phenomena can occur on any physical scale, from the Solar System to distant galaxies, and on very different timescales, mainly between hours and years.

Synergies

From multi-wavelength surveys to a unified picture of the Universe

Understanding how dark matter, dark energy, and gravity shape structure across the Universe requires measurements that span from the smallest galaxies to the largest cosmic environments.