We present a measurement of the Hubble constant (H-0) using type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) in the near-infrared (NIR) from the recently updated sample of SNe Ia in nearby galaxies with distances measured via Cepheid period-luminosity relations by the SH0ES project. We collected public near-infrared photometry of up to 19 calibrator SNe Ia and 57 SNe Ia in the Hubble flow (z > 0.01), and directly measured their peak magnitudes in the J- and H-band by Gaussian processes and spline interpolation. Calibrator peak magnitudes together with Cepheid-based distances were used to estimate the average absolute magnitude in each band, while Hubble-flow SNe were used to constrain the zero-point intercept of the magnitude-redshift relation. Our baseline result of H-0 is 72.3 +/- 1.4 (stat) +/- 1.4 (syst) km s(-1) Mpc(-1) in the J-band and 72.3 +/- 1.3 (stat) +/- 1.4 (syst) km s(-1) Mpc(-1) in the H-band, where the systematic uncertainties include the standard deviation of up to 21 variations of the analysis, the 0.7% distance scale systematic from SH0ES Cepheid anchors, a photometric zero-point systematic, and a cosmic variance systematic. Our final measurement represents a measurement with a precision of 2.8% in both bands. Among all the analysis variants, the largest change in H-0 comes from limiting the sample to those SNe from the CSP and CfA programs; they are noteworthy because they are the best calibrated, yielding H-0 similar to 75 km s(-1) Mpc(-1) in both bands. We explore applying stretch and reddening corrections to standardize SN Ia NIR peak magnitudes, and we demonstrate that they are still useful to reduce the absolute magnitude scatter and, which improves its standardization, at least up to the H-band. Based on our results, in order to improve the precision of the H-0 measurement with SNe Ia in the NIR in the future, we would need to increase the number of calibrator SNe Ia, to be able to extend the Hubble-Lemaitre diagram to higher redshift, and to include standardization procedures to help reduce the NIR intrinsic scatter.

The nearby, luminous infrared galaxy NGC 7469 hosts a Seyfert nucleus with a circumnuclear star-forming ring and is thus the ideal local laboratory for investigating the starburst-AGN (active galactic nucleus) connection in detail. We present integral-field observations of the central 1.3 kpc region in NGC 7469 obtained with the JWST Mid-InfraRed Instrument. Molecular and ionized gas distributions and kinematics at a resolution of similar to 100 pc over the 4.9-7.6 mu m region are examined to study the gas dynamics influenced by the central AGN. The low-ionization [Fe ii] lambda 5.34 mu m and [Ar ii] lambda 6.99 mu m lines are bright on the nucleus and in the starburst ring, as opposed to H-2 S(5) lambda 6.91 mu m, which is strongly peaked at the center and surrounding ISM. The high-ionization [Mg v] line is resolved and shows a broad, blueshifted component associated with the outflow. It has a nearly face-on geometry that is strongly peaked on the nucleus, where it reaches a maximum velocity of -650 km s(-1), and extends about 400 pc to the east. Regions of enhanced velocity dispersion in H-2 and [Fe ii] similar to 180 pc from the AGN that also show high L(H-2)/L(PAH) and L([Fe ii])/L(Pf alpha) ratios to the W and N of the nucleus pinpoint regions where the ionized outflow is depositing energy, via shocks, into the dense interstellar medium between the nucleus and the starburst ring. These resolved mid-infrared observations of the nuclear gas dynamics demonstrate the power of JWST and its high-sensitivity integral-field spectroscopic capability to resolve feedback processes around supermassive black holes in the dusty cores of nearby luminous infrared galaxies.

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) images of the luminous infrared (IR) galaxy VV 114 are presented. This redshift similar to 0.020 merger has a western component (VV 114W) rich in optical star clusters and an eastern component (VV 114E) hosting a luminous mid-IR nucleus hidden at UV and optical wavelengths by dust lanes. With MIRI, the VV 114E nucleus resolves primarily into bright NE and SW cores separated by 630 pc. This nucleus comprises 45% of the 15 mu m light of VV 114, with the NE and SW cores having IR luminosities, L (IR)(8 - 1000 mu m) similar to 8 +/- 0.8 x 10(10) L (circle dot) and similar to 5 +/- 0.5 x 10(10) L (circle dot), respectively, and IR densities, sigma(IR) greater than or similar to 2 +/- 0.2 x 10(13) L (circle dot) kpc(-2) and greater than or similar to 7 +/- 0.7 x 10(12) L (circle dot) kpc(-2), respectively-in the range of sigma(IR) for the Orion star-forming core and the nuclei of Arp 220. The NE core, previously speculated to have an active galactic nucleus (AGN), has starburst-like mid-IR colors. In contrast, the VV 114E SW core has AGN-like colors. Approximately 40 star-forming knots with L (IR) similar to 0.02-5 x 10(10) L (circle dot) are identified, 28% of which have no optical counterpart. Finally, diffuse emission accounts for 40%-60% of the mid-IR emission. Mostly notably, filamentary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission stochastically excited by UV and optical photons accounts for half of the 7.7 mu m light of VV 114. This study illustrates the ability of JWST to detect obscured compact activity and distributed PAH emission in the most extreme starburst galaxies in the local universe.

We have used the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to obtain the first spatially resolved, mid-infrared images of IIZw096, a merging luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG) at z = 0.036. Previous observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope suggested that the vast majority of the total IR luminosity (LIR) of the system originated from a small region outside of the two merging nuclei. New observations with JWST/MIRI now allow an accurate measurement of the location and luminosity density of the source that is responsible for the bulk of the IR emission. We estimate that 40%-70% of the IR bolometric luminosity, or 3-5 x 10(11) L-circle dot, arises from a source no larger than 175 pc in radius, suggesting a luminosity density of at least 3-5 x 10(12) Le kpc(-2). In addition, we detect 11 other star-forming sources, five of which were previously unknown. The MIRI F1500W/F560W colors of most of these sources, including the source responsible for the bulk of the far-IR emission, are much redder than the nuclei of local LIRGs. These observations reveal the power of JWST to disentangle the complex regions at the hearts of merging, dusty galaxies.

We present mid-infrared spectroscopic observations of the nucleus of the nearby Seyfert galaxy NGC 7469 taken with the MIRI instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) as part of Directors Discretionary Time Early Release Science program 1328. The high-resolution nuclear spectrum contains 19 emission lines covering a wide range of ionization. The high-ionization lines show broad, blueshifted emission reaching velocities up to 1700 km s(-1) and FWHM ranging from similar to 500 to 1100 km s(-1). The width of the broad emission and the broad-to-narrow line flux ratios correlate with ionization potential. The results suggest a decelerating, stratified, AGN-driven outflow emerging from the nucleus. The estimated mass outflow rate is 1-2 orders of magnitude larger than the current black hole accretion rate needed to power the AGN. Eight pure rotational H-2 emission lines are detected with intrinsic widths ranging from FWHM similar to 125 to 330 km s(-1). We estimate a total mass of warm H-2 gas of similar to 1.2 x 10(7) M (circle dot) in the central 100 pc. The PAH features are extremely weak in the nuclear spectrum, but a 6.2 mu m PAH feature with an equivalent width of similar to 0.07 mu m and a flux of 2.7 x 10(-17) W m(-2) is detected. The spectrum is steeply rising in the mid-infrared, with a silicate strength of similar to 0.02, significantly smaller than seen in most PG QSOs but comparable to other Seyfert 1s. These early MIRI mid-infrared IFU data highlight the power of JWST to probe the multiphase interstellar media surrounding actively accreting supermassive black holes.

We present results from the James Webb Space Telescope Director's Discretionary Time Early Release Science program 1328 targeting the nearby, luminous infrared galaxy, VV 114. We use the MIRI and NIRSpec instruments to obtain integral-field spectroscopy of the heavily obscured eastern nucleus (V114E) and surrounding regions. The spatially resolved, high-resolution spectra reveal the physical conditions in the gas and dust over a projected area of 2-3 kpc that includes the two brightest IR sources, the NE and SW cores. Our observations show for the first time spectroscopic evidence that the SW core hosts an active galactic nucleus as evidenced by its very low 6.2 mu m and 3.3 mu m polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon equivalent widths (0.12 and 0.017 mu m, respectively) and mid- and near-IR colors. Our observations of the NE core show signs of deeply embedded star formation including absorption features due to aliphatic hydrocarbons, large quantities of amorphous silicates, as well as HCN due to cool gas along the line of sight. We detect elevated [Fe ii]/Pf alpha consistent with extended shocks coincident with enhanced emission from warm H-2, far from the IR-bright cores and clumps. We also identify broadening and multiple kinematic components in both H-2 and fine structure lines caused by outflows and previously identified tidal features.

We present the results of a James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam investigation into the young massive star cluster (YMC) population in the luminous infrared galaxy VV 114. We identify 374 compact YMC candidates with signal-to-noise ratios >= 3, 5, and 5 at F150W, F200W, and F356W, respectively. A direct comparison with our HST cluster catalog reveals that similar to 20% of these sources are undetected at optical wavelengths. Based on yggdrasil stellar population models, we identify 17 YMC candidates in our JWST imaging alone with F150W - F200W and F200W - F356W colors suggesting they are all very young, dusty (A(V) = 5-15), and massive (10(5.8) < M-circle dot < 10(6.1)). The discovery of these "hidden" sources, many of which are found in the "overlap" region between the two nuclei, quadruples the number of t < 3 Myr clusters and nearly doubles the number of t < 6 Myr clusters detected in VV 114. Now extending the cluster age distribution (dN d tau (sic) t(gamma)) to the youngest ages, we find a slope of gamma = -1.30 +/- 0.39 for 10(6) < tau(yr) < 10(7), which is consistent with the previously determined value from 10(7) < tau(yr) < 10(8.5), and confirms that VV 114 has a steep age distribution slope for all massive star clusters across the entire range of cluster ages observed. Finally, the consistency between our JWST-and HST-derived age distribution slopes indicates that the balance between cluster formation and destruction has not been significantly altered in VV 114 over the last 0.5 Gyr.

Bars play an important role in mixing material in the inner regions of galaxies and stimulating radial migration. Previous observations have found evidence for the impact of a bar on metallicity gradients but the effect is still inconclusive. We use the TYPHOON/PrISM survey to investigate the metallicity gradients along and beyond the bar region across the entire star-forming disc of five nearby galaxies. Using emission line diagrams to identify star-forming spaxels, we recover the global metallicity gradients ranging from -0.0162 to -0.073dexkpc(-1) with evidence that the galactic bars act as an agent in affecting in situ star formation as well as the motions of gas and stars. We observe cases with a 'shallow-steep' metallicity radial profile, with evidence of the bar flattening the metallicity gradients inside the bar region (NGC 5068 and NGC 1566) and also note instances where the bar appears to drive a steeper metallicity gradient producing 'steep-shallow' metallicity profiles (NGC 1365 and NGC 1744). For NGC 2835, a 'steep-shallow' metallicity gradient break occurs at a distance similar to 4 times the bar radius, which is more likely driven by gas accretion to the outskirt of the galaxy instead of the bar. The variation of metallicity gradients around the bar region traces the fluctuations of star formation rate surface density in NGC 1365, NGC 1566, and NGC 1744. A larger sample combined with hydrodynamical simulations is required to further explore the diversity, and the relative importance of different ISM mixing mechanisms on the gas-phase metallicity gradients in local galaxies.

We present James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) imaging of NGC 7469 with the Near-Infrared Camera and the Mid-InfraRed Instrument. NGC 7469 is a nearby, z = 0.01627, luminous infrared galaxy that hosts both a Seyfert Type-1.5 nucleus and a circumnuclear starburst ring with a radius of & SIM;0.5 kpc. The new near-infrared (NIR) JWST imaging reveals 66 star-forming regions, 37 of which were not detected by Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations. Twenty-eight of the 37 sources have very red NIR colors that indicate obscurations up to A (v) & SIM; 7 and a contribution of at least 25% from hot dust emission to the 4.4 & mu;m band. Their NIR colors are also consistent with young (<5 Myr) stellar populations and more than half of them are coincident with the mid-infrared (MIR) emission peaks. These younger, dusty star-forming regions account for & SIM;6% and & SIM;17% of the total 1.5 and 4.4 & mu;m luminosity of the starburst ring, respectively. Thanks to JWST, we find a significant number of young dusty sources that were previously unseen due to dust extinction. The newly identified 28 young sources are a significant increase compared to the number of HST-detected young sources (4-5). This makes the total percentage of the young population rise from & SIM;15% to 48%. These results illustrate the effectiveness of JWST in identifying and characterizing previously hidden star formation in the densest star-forming environments around active galactic nuclei (AGN).

We present James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) integral-field spectroscopy of the nearby merging, luminous infrared galaxy, NGC 7469. This galaxy hosts a Seyfert type-1.5 nucleus, a highly ionized outflow, and a bright, circumnuclear star-forming ring, making it an ideal target to study active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback in the local universe. We take advantage of the high spatial/spectral resolution of JWST/ MIRI to isolate the star-forming regions surrounding the central active nucleus and study the properties of the dust and warm molecular gas on similar to 100 pc scales. The starburst ring exhibits prominent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission, with grain sizes and ionization states varying by only similar to 30%, and a total star formation rate of 10-30(circle dot)yr(-1) derived from fine structure and recombination emission lines. Using pure rotational lines of H-2 we detect 1.2 x 107 M-circle dot of warm molecular gas at a temperature higher than 200 K in the ring. All PAH bands get significantly weaker toward the central source, where larger and possibly more ionized grains dominate the emission, likely the result of the ionizing radiation and/or the fast wind emerging from the AGN. The small grains and warm molecular gas in the bright regions of the ring however display properties consistent with normal starforming regions. These observations highlight the power of JWST to probe the inner regions of dusty, rapidly