Current Graduate Research
I am currently leading the observational aspect of the CIViL* Survey which is part of the Cycle 30 HST Large Program (PID #17076). Learn more about my ongoing research project below!
What does CIV Reveal About the Ionization State of the CGM?
The diffuse gaseous atmosphere surrounding the star-filled inner region of a galaxy is known as its circumgalactic medium (CGM).
Galaxies draw gas from the CGM to fuel star formation; internal processes within the galaxies, in turn produce feedback that ejects gas and material back out into the CGM. Because of this constant moving and cycling of gas, the CGM maintains a record of how a galaxy built up its population of stars and holds key information for how galaxies begin to quench. By investigating this record, we can begin to tell a richer and more complete story of a galaxy’s past and make strides in predicting its future. I am currently using a combination of observations and analytical models focused on the metal ion CIV. I will investigate correlations between global galaxy properties and the ionization state and temperature for different gas phases in the CGM. Ultimately these analyses will help us to understand the complex relationships governing galaxy star formation rates and the contents of their diffuse gaseous halos.
Previous Graduate Work
I led the observational aspect of the COS-Holes Survey which was part of the Cycle 29 HST Large Program (PID #16650). Learn more about this research below!
The COS-Holes Survey: Connecting Galaxy Black Hole Mass with the State of the CGM (Garza et. al 2024)
This work examines the observed relationship, if any, between black hole growth over long timescales (parameterized by a dynamically measured SMBH mass) and the gas content and kinematics within the extended halos of galaxies. In addition, we compare these observations to predictions from cosmological simulations.
Undergraduate Research Projects
Galactic and Extragalactic Astronomy
I have participated in three Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs). Through these opportunities, I have focused on how stars form in our own galaxy to nearby galaxies using data that ranges the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Below are the highlights from the programs that I have been a part of.
Star Formation in the Milky Way
My first area of study was looking at regions were stars form in the Milky Way galaxy. Working with Dr. Robert Benjamin at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I studied star formation in the most inner arms of the galaxy. We were able to create a computational model that mapped the structure of the arms and I presented my results at the 223rd American Astronomical Society meeting.
Dense Extragalactic GBT+Argus Survey
I then moved to studying star formation in external galaxies at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO). I worked with Dr. Amanda Kepley on quantifying the relationship between dense gas and star formation using the Dense Extragalactic GBT+Argus Survey (DEGAS). In addition to my project, I also sat in on the DEGAS collaboration meetings and learned how international projects work together towards a common goal. When I returned to y home institution, I continued to work on my my project over the fall semester and participated in bi-weekly meetings; the preliminary results from this project is the subject of my undergraduate thesis that I completed in December 2019. I attended the AAS winter meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii and gave a poster presentation over my research which you can check out below.
Star Formation in the Whirlpool Galaxy
Currently, I am working on studying giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in the nearby spiral galaxy, M51. By combining ground- and space-based broadband imaging with the CO spectroscopy to measure the dust-to-gas ratio for GMCs throughout the galaxy. To move this project towards publication, we are writing a proposal for Submillimeter Array (SMA) observation time.