Anil Chandra Seth
Publications | CV | Teaching | Bryce Internship | Group
I am a professor in the Physics & Astronomy Department at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
Research Interests:
I study the formation and evolution of nearby galaxies by detecting individual stars and clusters of stars whose ages, composition, and motions can be measured. I focus particularly on understanding the centers of galaxies and the black holes and massive star clusters we find there.
My research focuses on the following questions:
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1) Do Lower Mass Galaxies Host Massive Black Holes?
My recent research has mostly focused on searching for black holes at the centers of nearby low mass galaxies to determine whether they have supermassive black holes like their higher mass brethren. This search uses the worlds leading telescopes, including Gemini, the Very Large Telescope, ALMA, Hubble, and JWST. My group has now found more than 10 new black holes at the centers of galaxies. These findings include the first dynamical measurements of black holes below a million solar masses, and establishing that galaxies 10-50 times lower mass than the Milky Way still commonly host black holes. They also include detecting black holes in the cores of smaller galaxies that have fallen into and been wripped apart by larger galaxies. The smallest black holes also provide strong constraints on the still unknown formation mechanism of supermassive black holes.
You can email me at:
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My personal email address is:
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2) How do nuclear star clusters form?
Unlike black holes, which erase any direct record of their formation, the stellar light from nuclear star clusters can tell us how and when material accreted into the centers of galaxies. I’m currently surveying the nearest nuclear star clusters using a wide range of observations, including laser-guide star adaptive optics observations. These observations provide information on the morphology, kinematics and stellar populations of the nuclear star clusters. Although much remains to be learned, my observations show that nuclear star clusters are complex systems that form episodically.
Other research:
I also work on a several projects focused on understanding the histories of stars and star clusters in nearby galaxies. These include large surveys of our nearest spiral neighbors, Andromeda and Triangulum. One of the most fun parts of this work has been launching citizen science projects to search for star clusters. I’m also involved with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey’s APOGEE project.
Outside of my research, I advocate for maintaining and improving the dark skies in our region, including helping start the world’s first Dark Sky Studies minor at the University of Utah, and founding an internship program for astronomy outreach at Bryce Canyon National Park. I'm also a member of the local chapter of Dark Sky International.
