Star formation is the process of converting cold gas (mostly hydrogen and helium) into new stars powered by thermonuclear fusion. Subsequently, the most massive stars inject radiative and mechanical feedback into the surrounding interstellar medium through stellar winds and—at the end of their lifetime—powerful explosions called supernovae, which can affect the future episodes of star formation.
Supermassive black holes can also be a source of feedback in various stages of their lifetime.
Through detailed observations of both nearby and distant galaxies, my work aims to disentangle the complex processes of star formation in galaxies, and to elucidate how feedback from both massive stars and black holes work to regulate star formation.
Select Publications
Compact starburst galaxies
- Violent Quenching: Molecular Gas Blown to 1000 km/s during a Major Merger, J. E. Geach, C. A. Tremonti, A. M. Diamond-Stanic et al. 2018, The Astrophysical Journal, 864, 1.
Star formation tracers
- Calibrating the James Webb Space Telescope Filters as Star Formation Rate Indicators, M. R. Senarath, M. J. I. Brown, M. E. Cluver, J. Moustakas et al. 2018, The Astrophysical Journal, 869, 26.
- Optical Star Formation Rate Indicators, J. Moustakas, R. C. Kennicutt, Jr., & C. A. Tremonti 2006, The Astrophysical Journal, 642, 775.