Program/Event
Arts and Research Showcase 2024
Abstract
This study examines the active galactic nuclei (AGNs), where the active supermassive black holes reside. Using the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey data, the main goal is to search three regions of space—filament, tendril, and void space—for AGNs. Active black holes are notorious for their violent activities through space, as they intensely spew out amounts of matter. Such behavior can be observed using the Baldwin-Philips-Terlevich (BPT) diagrams, which use ratios of emission lines to understand the astrophysical characteristics of various objects. To enhance the precision of the BPT diagrams, there was a focus on the red part of the spectrum, which minimizes the confounding effect caused by dust. Additionally, a single-to-noise ratio (S/N) greater than 3 was employed, which discards unreliable data and improves accuracy. This research aims to investigate the causes behind the higher concentration of black holes in one type of surroundings compared to the other. This requires a thorough examination of the galactic surroundings using various physical and statistical techniques. In particular, this helps in understanding the morphology of neighboring galaxies and stars. The analysis of data suggests that the ratio of AGNs to galaxies remains approximately the same in all three environments. This opens a room for questions on why the void space, where there are fewer galactic interactions, maintains the same ratio of AGNs to galaxies.
Recommended Citation
Patel, Divya A.; Robertson, Clayton; and Holwerda, Dr. Benne
(2024)
"An Analysis of Active Galactic Nuclei in Diverse Galactic Environments,"
The Cardinal Edge: Vol. 2:
Iss.
2, Article 29.
Available at:
https://ir.library.louisville.edu/tce/vol2/iss2/29
