CURRENT RESEARCH
"True" Type 2 Seyfert Galaxy Candidate Search: SDSS & CXO
My work:
Current research is underway to determine "True" Type 2 AGN candidates residing in the SDSS & CXO catalogs, with follow-up observations and analysis to probe for evidence of toroidal obscuration to further filter for the most rigorous candidates of the "True" Type 2 moniker. |
Introduction to the Unified Model:
The Unified Model for Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), as pioneered by Antonucci, Miller, Urry, Padovani, and more, lays claim to the idea that Type 1, Type 2, and any other type of Seyfert galaxy essentially have the same physical structure at the galactic nucleus (where an actively-accreting black hole resides). Under this model, it is suggested that the difference between the different categorizations of Seyfert galaxies we observe is due to our incidence angle of viewing, where the object classification changes based on whether we're seeing the galaxy "edge-on" or "face-on." This theory has come under scrutiny over the last 20 years or so due to the emergence of "True" Type 2 AGN: AGN that seem to truly indicate a difference in physical structure at the galactic nucleus. |
PAST RESEARCH
Star-Forming Galaxy SpectroscopyDuring my 2016 REU at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, I worked alongside Prof. Andrew J. Baker & John F. Wu, PhD candidate, to create a data pipeline that characterized and catalogued ~1,500 Anglo-Australian Telescope spectra from star-forming galaxies located in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South, by H-alpha and H-beta flux. The pipeline fit a gaussian distribution within a three sigma detection to ensure statistical significance, which in turn sorted the ~1,500 galaxies into a usable, high-quality subgroup of 493 with statistically significant detections. These high-quality spectra were then available for follow-up science by the LADUMA team, who observed the same region as part of their collaboration's first light. My poster presentation at AAS January, 2017 can be found here.
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OTHER RESEARCH INTERESTS
Galaxy Formation / EvolutionOne of the immense challenges in understanding galaxy evolution is accounting for the intricate web of feedback environments from constituent components of a galaxy! The interplay between star formation, ISM, dark matter, and AGN is therefor of great interest to the field, with simulation & modeling projects like FIRE leading the way in large-scale structure / galaxy evolution research.
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Gravitational WavesWith the LIGO collaboration's abundant detections, as well as other unique collaborations such as NANOGrav approaching first light within the next decade, gravitational wave astronomy presents an immense potential to communicate information thought lost to us for a variety of reasons. This is particularly interesting in relationship to cosmological efforts.
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Black Hole / Compact Object BinariesBlack hole binaries serve as both excellent tracers of star formation as well as laboratories for the study of how black holes evolve! By exploring these two realms, we can piece together a more comprehensive tree of galaxy/AGN evolution.
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