Gianni Sims

About Me

Education: The Pennsylvania State University: University Park, BS in Astrophysics with a minor in Philosophy

Research Interests: Observational Astronomy, Computational Astrophysics, High Energy Astrophysics

Research

Seeding Supermassive Blackholes: The AGN Galaxy Occupation Fraction - Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are central to the evolution of galaxies, yet their origins remain enigmatic. This research explores the competing light seed and heavy seed models for SMBH formation, examining their theoretical underpinnings and observational constraints. Using data from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Deep Drilling Fields—W-CDF-S, XMM-LSS, and ELAIS-S1—this study constructs Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) Occupation Fraction (AGN OF) plots to compare observed SMBH distributions with theoretical predictions. Employing robust AGN selection criteria, including spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) methods, reliable AGN candidates were identified. Completeness plots were created to address observational biases, enabling corrections to AGN OF distributions. The corrected plots reveal trends in AGN presence as a function of galaxy mass and redshift, providing insights into SMBH growth and their host galaxies. By transitioning from AGN OF to Black Hole Occupation Fraction (BHOF) plots, the study evaluates the broader implications of seeding mechanisms on galaxy evolution. This work emphasizes the importance of deep-field observations in refining our understanding of SMBH formation pathways and their cosmic roles.