Student Highlights: Theodora Zastrocky
— MEET THEODORA —
Class: Graduate
Major: Physics
Theodora Zastrocky grew up in southwest Colorado as the oldest of seven. She stayed in Colorado for her undergraduate studies, double majoring in physics and english at Regis University in Denver. She has always been a natural-born teacher and is pursuing her PhD in astronomy with the goal of becoming faculty at a small liberal arts college. In her spare time, Theodora volunteers with the Laramie Animal Welfare Society, reads voraciously, runs, and catches up on her never-ending queue of podcasts.
— THEODORA’S RESEARCH —
Every massive galaxy harbors at its center a supermassive black hole (SMBH) that is millions to billions of times the mass of the sun. We have observed relationships between the properties of host galaxies and the mass of their central SMBH. These relationships indicate that SMBHs are tied to galaxy evolution over cosmic time. Consequently, it is important to get good measurements of these SMBH masses. The problem is that SMBHs are physically small compared to their host galaxy and we cannot resolve SMBHs with our current telescope technology. As a result, we have to use indirect methods to measure SMBH masses.
Theodora uses a technique called reverberation mapping (RM) to measure the masses of a subset of SMBHs called active galactic nuclei (AGN). AGN are SMBHs that are actively accreting gas and dust. AGN are incredibly bright—some even outshine their host galaxy. AGN are also variable—we observe changes in the amount of optical light they output on timescales as short as days. RM exploits the variability of AGN to measure a physical size scale of their central region. With a physical size in hand, basic gravitational physics is all that is required to convert it into a mass.
Theodora is particularly interested in using computers to model RM data in order to obtain even more accurate black hole masses. She uses the Wyoming Infrared Observatory (WIRO) to observe AGN. More accurate black hole masses will allow us to better understand galaxies: the fundamental building blocks of the universe.
Reflection in the mirror of the 3.5m telescope at Apache Point Observatory
ABOUT STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS
Every year, we award fellowships to graduate and undergraduate students attending the University of Wyoming or Wyoming’s community colleges in order to provide them with funding to engage in real-world research opportunities. Occasionally, we feature one of these students and their research on this blog. For more information about our student fellowships, visit our College Programs page.