Unlocking the Universe’s Secret
Science fiction writers have long speculated on the secret of the universe, but today, astronomers believe they may have found it in active galactic nuclei (AGN), or quasars. These compact, starlike celestial bodies create a power output greater than our entire galaxy, explains physics Professor Alberto Sadun. “AGN harbor super massive black holes from which may emanate high-energy jets directed to our line of sight that seem to be responsible for highly variable activity,” he says.
Although the detailed nature of the phenomenon is still very much a mystery, Sadun and his students are tapping into technology to observe and track changes in active AGN that are billions of miles away, using telescopes based hundreds or thousands of miles away.
John Apodaca, a physics and mathematics major, notes students and instructor are able to use robotics and remote Internet technology to command telescopes across the globe to target their areas of research. “With robotics, you put in the coordinates and they get to it in turn,” he says. “With remote, each and every little instruction is in real time.”
With the help of a faculty development grant facilitated by the Center for Faculty Development, Sadun and his students have been able to access telescopes in Arizona, the Canary Islands and Israel.
“The robotic and remote observing is made, for the most part, on commercial telescopes,” Sadun says. “These telescopes rent by the hour, but the rates are reasonable.”
The team researches two or three AGN from September through May and is alerted to possible activity or deviations from normal activity by collaborative investigators across the country.
“Because the nature of this project is essentially one of international collaboration, there is no doubt that within a year there will be publications, and quite possibly also opportunities for funding,” Sadun stresses. “This cutting-edge research explores the extreme energy regime of high energy astrophysics.”