Nearby Galaxies Lab - KU

Nearby Galaxies Lab

I am a member of the Nearby Galaxies Lab led by Prof. Elisabeth (Betsy) Mills at the University of Kansas. Our group explores the physics and chemistry of gas in the most extreme environments in the nearby universe, including the Galactic Center, starburst galaxies, and active galactic nuclei. We use radio, millimeter, and infrared spectroscopy to study how gas flows, forms stars, and interacts with black holes, with data from telescopes like ALMA, the VLA, and JWST.

As part of this team, I contribute to JWST observations of NGC 253 and M82—two nearby starburst galaxies—to study embedded star clusters, feedback, and outflows. My work focuses on analyzing mid-infrared spectral data from JWST MIRI to model extinction and infrared pumping in these dusty, energetic regions. This involves extracting and fitting emission and absorption lines to better understand how radiation and dust shape the physical conditions of star-forming environments. These efforts complement ongoing analysis with ALMA and the VLA.