Kinematic Signatures of Black Hole Growth in the Local Universe

Hicks Erin K, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

Dr. Erin Hicks is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at the University of Washington (UW). Over the past decade it has become increasingly clear that supermassive black holes (BHs) play a pivotal role in galaxy evolution. This revelation has been driven by the discovery that most, if not all, galaxies harbor a BH, and that the mass of the BH is related to the global properties of the host galaxy, likely as a consequence of the co-evolution of galaxies and their BHs. It is widely accepted that BHs accumulate mass through accretion of material from the host galaxy and that this process is the source of power behind active galactic nuclei (AGN). The massive BHs found in elliptical galaxies are understood to be products of intense quasar AGN activity occurring in the early universe as a result of major galaxy mergers. In contrast, the ongoing BH growth in the local universe occurs primarily in spiral galaxies hosting Seyfert AGN, the driving mechanism(s) of which are not yet known. Despite the significant BH growth occurring in these galaxies, there is no observed correlation of this activity with large-scale phenomena (>100 pc); this indicates that the triggering mechanism of this mode of accretion, and thus its role in galaxy evolution, is hidden on smaller scales. Dr Hicks will conduct the first comparative study of the two-dimensional molecular gas kinematics, as well as stellar kinematics, on scales down to 10 pc in a matched sample of Seyfert and inactive galaxies. Dr. Hicks will interpret the observed kinematic signatures of gas inflow in the context of theoretical models, and will thereby constrain the mechanism(s) responsible for BH growth in the local universe. Dr. Hicks will also lead two educational activities at UW that aim to excite a diverse population of undergraduate students about the field of astronomy and to encourage these students to pursue astronomy as a career. As a participant in the well-established UW Pre-Major in Astronomy Program (Pre-MAP), which recruits incoming students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in science and promotes astronomy as an undergraduate major, Dr. Hicks will provide entry level research projects drawn from the proposed galaxy evolution research as well as one-on-one student mentoring throughout the yearlong program. Dr. Hicks will also help to spread the success of Pre-MAP to other STEM departments across UW. A partnership will be formed with the recently created, NSF-funded Pacific Northwest Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (PNW LSAMP) to assist with the implementation of similar programs in other Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) departments across UW. This will include collaboration on new programs in curriculum building, funding acquisition and research project development, and will work toward the PNW LSAMP five-year goal of doubling the number of underrepresented minority students graduating in STEM fields. Dr. Hicks's second educational activity will be a course entitled "Galaxies: From Black Holes to Superclusters," to be developed and taught within the UW astronomy department. This course will draw directly from Dr. Hicks's research activities and related topics, and will provide the opportunity to share the fascination of extragalactic research with non-science majors. Among the goals of the course will be for students to gain awareness of exciting breakthroughs in the field and understanding of the fundamental principles underlying them, to recognize the applicability of the scientific method in daily life, and to develop a lifelong interest in astronomy that leads to their continued engagement in the field in the future.