Dust Obscured Quasars: A Missing Link in the Formation and Evolution of Galaxies and Quasars

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Dr. Eilat Glikman is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at Yale University. Dr. Glikman will study the role of dust-obscured quasars in relation to the overallquasar population. Dust-obscured quasars are a newly discovered and thoroughly unexplored stage of quasar evolution and may represent a missing link in the path from nascent active galactic nuclei seen buried in merging ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) to quasars that show no signs of disruption. Dr. Glikman will (1) conduct several new surveys for dust-obscured quasars increasing the depth and area beyond existing surveys to determine their fraction in the overall quasar population and study their reddening properties as functions of luminosity and redshift and (2) use integral-field spectroscopy to study their dynamics at subarcsecond resolutions.Dr. Glikman will also utilize her extensive experience with outreach and mentorship in a multi-pronged education effort. She will develop and teach a modern cosmology course geared towards advanced undergraduate students. In addition, she will take advantage of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute to pair with a local middle school science teacher to conduct hands-on astronomy activities during the school year and in intensive summer workshops. Dr. Glikman will also design a self-contained project from within the scope of the her research and work directly with undergraduate science students, with a focus on providing mentorship to women scientists. This individualized approach of fostering stimulating collegial relationships between women scientists emphasizes the importance of role models and mentors to improve the confidence and success of women in the field of astronomy.