Research Scientist of Astronomy
About
Radio emission from AGNs
Margo Aller is studying relativistic jet outflows from gas accretion onto massive black holes in active galactic nuclei. This research uses a combination of observations from the U-M 26-meter radio telescope (UMRAO), MOJAVE (a VLBA key program dedicated to characterizing the kinematics of these sources), complementary broadband data obtained as part of a global collaboration, and theoretical modeling. Aller is interested particularly in the geometry of magnetic fields within jets, as well as their particle composition. She has also been studying the relationship between radio band flares and activity at shorter wavelengths. Aller’s work helped identify shocks as the probable origin of radio band variability, and she was recently part of a team that obtained the first observational evidence for the presence of an acceleration and collimation zone within the jet, confirming the predictions of jet-launching models.
Background
BA, Vassar College; PhD, University of Michigan.
Additional Interests
Study of the relation between accretion disks and jet outflows using a combination of simultaneous radio band and X-ray observations of the radio galaxies 3C 120, 3C 111, and NGC 1052.
Publications
For publications by this author, use this ADS search.
