Science Highlight: Even Better Together

Using observations of both JWST and ALMA, van Gelder et al. 2024 (2024, A&A 682, A78) unlock the secrets behind the emission of SO2 from the young protostars NGC 1333 IRAS 2A. This sulfurous compound signals evaporating ices but can also be released in accretion shocks where material enters the planet-forming disk. By combining the observations of the vibrationally excited SO2 lines seen with JWST, and the rotational lines in the vibrational ground-state seen with ALMA, the authors find that thermal ice sublimation in the inner hot regions around the protostar explains the emission. They also find that radiative pumping is important for the lines observed with JWST. This paper presents a beautiful synergy of JWST and ALMA.