DARYL JOE SANTOS
MY RESEARCH
Black hole observations, galaxy formation and evolution, astronomy education
EFFECT OF GALAXY ENVIRONMENT ON AGNs AND LAEs
The role of the galaxy environment in the active galactic nucleus (AGN) and Lyman-alpha emitter (LAE) activities is still a mystery. My research during my master's aimed to shed light on this problem by investigating nearby galaxies observed by the AKARI infrared telescope and high-redshift LAEs observed by Subaru Hyper-Suprime Cam (HSC).
Read my work on galaxy environment and AGNs [Santos et al. (2021b)], and LAEs [Santos et al. (2022)].
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Image of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 taken from NASA..
RESOLVING THE BLR OF BLACK HOLES
My PhD project focuses on resolving the broad line regions (BLRs) of nearby active galactic nuclei (AGNs) with GRAVITY, the second-generation near-infrared beam combiner at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer. This project aims to gain a further understanding of the physics behind the BLR, a mystery that is yet to be solved.
Read my works on the following:
(1) On the size-luminosity relation of AGNs with GRAVITY observations: GRAVITY Collaboration et al. 2024
(2) On the preparatory spectroscopic survey of cosmic-noon AGNs for GRAVITY+ observations: Santos et al. 2025
(3) My official dissertation from LMU
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Image credit: International Gemini Observatory / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / P. Marenfeld.
WHY IS ASTRO-PH IMPORTANT FOR ASTRONOMY EDUCATION?
Astro-ph, or Astro-Coffee (AC), is a journal club formed and lead by astronomy institutes around the world. The goal of AC varies from institute to institute, but its main purpose is to keep track of the latest findings in astronomy research. My research during my master's aim to pinpoint the important factors that affect the success of implementing AC.
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Read my work on Astro-ph and astronomy education: Santos et al. (2021a)
Research Interests
Aside from the specific research topics described above, I am also working on several projects with Filipino students focusing on other topics, and other projects with my fellow collaborators. Some of the topics and questions that we are trying to answer are as follows:
Exoplanet Astrophysics
What is an exoplanet's "critical radius" that determines whether it is rocky or gaseous?
Photo credits: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. daSilva, M. Zamani
Gravitational Waves and BH Binaries
How can we determine the formation channels of low-mass gap BH binaries?
Photo credits: LIGO/T. Pyle
Astronomy Education and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
How can we provide an inclusive and psychologically safe environment for pursuing astronomy in classrooms and conferences?
Photo credits: dfw child
Little Red Dots (LRDs)
Do LRDs prefer dense environments, or do they live in isolated environments?
Photo credits: Matthee et al. (2024)
Blazars
Do blazars possess high metallicities or not?
Photo credits: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab
Interested to collaborate?
I am looking for driven and inspired students who would like to explore the mysteries of the cosmos with me! Send me an email if you are interested.
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P.S. No prior astronomy education required; however, a considerable mastery of physics and math is highly recommended. Experience in Python programming would be desirable, but can be learned during the research work.