MMA’s Former NSF Post-baccalaureate Research Fellow, Michele Woodland, Publishes First-Author Paper on The Host Galaxies of the Elusive Fast Radio Bursts

September 27, 2024

NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association’s (MMA) former National Science Foundation (NSF) funded post-baccalaureate research fellow, Michele Woodland, recently published a first-author paper on her work done with the MMA. The work, which is published in the Astrophysical Journal, explores the host galaxies of the elusive fast radio bursts, also known as FRBs. FRBs are bright, millisecond-duration bursts of radio waves that originate from sources outside of our own Milky Way Galaxy. First detected in 2006, discovering the identity and nature of the progenitors of FRBs has remained one of the hottest mysteries in astrophysics over the last two decades.


While working as the MMA post-baccalaureate research fellow, Woodland joined the Fast and Fortunate for FRB Follow-up (F4) Collaboration, under the mentorship of the MMA’s Director of Astronomy, Dr. Regina Jorgenson. This collaboration involves researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Northwestern University, and multiple international institutions, all working together to help solve this mystery. Woodland’s work focused on an effort to carefully analyze five FRB host galaxies with detailed imaging taken with the advanced Adaptive Optics system on one of the largest ground-based telescopes in the world. Her paper discusses the location of the FRB with respect to the major features of each host galaxy like spiral arms and other areas of concentrated star formation. Detailed studies of the host galaxies like this one will help astronomers to better understand the elusive progenitors of FRBs, while simultaneously untangling information about the “‘comic web”’ of material along the line of the sight to each galaxy.


Regarding her experiences working with the members of the F4 Collaboration and the MMA, Woodland said,” I thoroughly enjoyed working with F4 and the MMA. I gained many new skills from the experience and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have made so many new connections in the field of astronomy.” Woodland is currently continuing her career in astronomy as a graduate student in astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz.


Sources: (Link to the published paper):

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ad643c


The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) is a private non-profit organization. Founded in 1902, the MMA works to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages.


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For Immediate Release

September 27, 2024

Contact: Joanna Roche

jroche@mariamitchell.org

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