Possibility of a Starburst Origin for Low-Luminosity Active Galactic Nuclei

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The nuclei of many galaxies show evidence of mild activity, such as very broad (but weak) emission due to hydrogen. These are generally thought to be scaled-down versions of luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs), in which matter is probably being accret- ed by a massive black hole. During the past few years, however, a few investigators have speculated that the properties of low- luminosity AGNs might instead be explained by processes related to central bursts of star formation. Although this is not a popular idea, recent evidence from observations of supernovae lend some support to this idea. This research will explore this model from both theoretical and observational approaches. Dr. Filippenko is an extremely active young astronomer, who has most recently been much concerned with the design and utilization of automated observatories in the study of active galactic nuclei and extragalactic supernovae. He currently holds a Presidential Young Investigator award.