Maria Herrmann
Research Mentor(s): Kayhan Gultekin
Mentor Department: Astronomy
Authors: Maria Herrmann, Kayhan Gültekin
Session: Session 4 (1:00pm – 1:50pm)
Presentation Type: Poster 9
Abstract
This project focuses on the data reduction of astronomical images in order to evaluate whether binary supermassive black holes are located at the centers of large galaxies. Furthermore, this project aims to create more evidence for identifying black holes based on astrophysical data. To accomplish this goal, these images are processed to assess if an area of absent light is contained at the center of these galaxies. This missing light is caused by binary black holes ejecting stars out of the center of the galaxy in which they reside, creating a flattened surface brightness profile that can be measured with high angular resolution imaging. This data is acquired through accessing images from the Hubble Space Telescope. The specific data for each galaxy is then downloaded so that they can be transformed. The pictures are treated through custom analysis software, specifically called XVista. The data reduction process of one galaxy goes from undistorting, shifting, clipping, merging, subtracting, marking, zapping, profiling, reconstructing, and deconvoluting the final result of these images. At the end of this approach, the produced image helps evaluate whether there is absent light at the galaxy’s center. Moreover, the galaxy’s surface brightness profile’s properties relate to the presence or absence of binary black holes at the galaxy’s center in an astrophysical way. Therefore, this project helps create and evaluate more evidence showcasing this presence by refining images. Specifically, the primary goal of this project is to acquire detailed measurements of different surface brightness profiles of galaxies so that future astronomical work can statistically compare predictions between the properties of the population of binary black holes and the observations of the population of stellar surface brightness profiles.
