The dust-star interplay in late-type galaxies at z < 0.5: forecasts for
  the JWST
  In recent years, significant growth in the amount of data available to
astronomers has opened up the possibility to uncover fundamental correlations,
linking the dust component of a galaxy to its star formation rate (SFR). In
this paper, we re-examine these correlations, investigating the origin of the
observed scatter, and the ability of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to
explore such relations in the early Universe. We defined a sample of about 800
normal star-forming galaxies with photometries in the range of 0.15 < $\lambda$
< 500 microns and analysed them with different spectral energy distribution
(SED) fitting methods. With the SEDs extracted, we investigated the detection
rate at different redshifts with the MId-Infrared instruments (MIRI) onboard
the JWST. Dust luminosity (L$_d$) and SFR show a strong correlation, but for
SFR < 2 M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$, the correlation scatter increases dramatically. We
show that selection based on the fraction of ultraviolet (UV) emission absorbed
by dust, that is, the UV extinction, greatly reduces the data dispersion.
Reproducing the sensitivity of the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science
Survey (CEERS) and classifying galaxies according to their SFR and stellar mass
(M$_\ast$), we investigated the MIRI detection rate as a function of the
physical properties of the galaxies. Fifty percent of the objects with SFR
$\sim$ 1 M$_\odot$yr$^{-1}$ at $z$ = 6 are detected with F770, which decreases
to 20% at $z$ = 8. For such galaxies, only 5% of the subsample will be detected
at 5$\sigma$ with F770 and F1000 at $z$ = 8, and only 10% with F770, F1000, and
F1280 at $z$ = 6. The link between dust and star formation is complex, and many
aspects remain to be fully understood. In this context, the JWST will
revolutionise the field, allowing investigation of the dust--star interplay
well within the epoch of reionisation.
