Emirati national Aisha Al Yazeedi, a research scientist at the NYU Abu Dhabi
(NYUAD) Center for Astro, Particle, and Planetary Physics, has published her
first research paper, featuring some key findings on the evolution of
galaxies.
Galaxies eventually undergo a phase in which they lose most of their gas,
which results in a change into their properties over the course of their
evolution. Current models for galaxy evolution suggest this should
eventually happen to all galaxies, including our own Milky Way; Al Yazeedi
and her team are delving into this process.
“The evolution of galaxies is directly linked to the activity of their central supermassive blackhole (SMBH). However, the connection between the activity of SMBHs and the ejection of gas from the entire galaxy is poorly understood. Observational studies, including our research, are essential to clarify how the central SMBH can influence the evolution of its entire host galaxy and prove key theoretical concepts in the field of astrophysics.”
Aisha Al Yazeedi
Titled The impact of low luminosity AGN on their host galaxies: A radio and
optical investigation of the kpc-scale outflow in MaNGA 1-166919, the paper
has been published in Astronomical Journal. Its findings outline gas
ejection mechanisms, outflow properties, and how they are related to the
activity of the supermassive blackhole (SMBH) at the center of the host
galaxy.
To that end, the paper presents a detailed optical and radio study of the
MaNGA 1-166919 galaxy, which appears to have an Active Galactic Nucleus
(AGN). Radio morphology shows two lobes (jets) emanating from the center of
the galaxy, a clear sign of AGN activity that could be driving the optical
outflow. By measuring the outflow properties, the NYUAD researchers
documented how the extent of the optical outflow matches the extent of radio
emission.
Al Yazeedi is a member of NYUAD’s Kawader program, a national
capacity-building research fellowship that allows outstanding graduates to
gain experience in cutting-edge academic research. The three-year,
individually tailored, intensive program is designed for graduates
considering a graduate degree or a career in research.
Her paper adds to the growing body of UAE space research and activities. The
UAE has sent an Emirati into space, a spacecraft around Mars and recently
announced plans to send a robotic rover to the Moon in 2022, ahead of the
ultimate goal to build a city on Mars by 2117.
Emirati women are playing a key role in the research and development behind
these projects. The Mars Hope probe science team, which is 80 percent
female, was led by Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Sciences
and chairperson of the country’s space agency.
Reference:
Aisha Al Yazeedi, Ivan Yu. Katkov, Joseph D. Gelfand, Dominika Wylezalek,
Nadia L. Zakamska, Weizhe Liu. The Impact of Low-luminosity AGNs on Their
Host Galaxies: A Radio and Optical Investigation of the Kiloparsec-scale
Outflow in MaNGA 1-166919. The Astrophysical Journal, 2021; 916 (2): 102
DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/abf5e1
Tags:
Space & Astrophysics