Assistant Professor of Astronomy at the University of Michigan and 2020 LSA Collegiate Fellow (Astronomy)
About
Sean Johnson is an observational astronomer and works primarily on studies of galaxies, supermassive black holes, and the surrounding gas supplies that fuel their growth. Dr. Johnson's work involves observations with space-based and large ground-based telescopes. By combining these datasets, we can learn about the physical conditions of the gas supplies that enable galaxies to continue forming stars. And at the same time, we can identify the chemical signatures of heavy elements that are produced in supernova explosions and deposited into intergalactic space by galactic-scale winds.
Throughout his career, Dr. Johnson has worked to increase access, diversity, and inclusion in astrophysics and STEM fields more generally. As a grad student, he worked as the KICP Space Explorers instructor to design and teach weekly lab-based science classes for students an Upward Bound Program on Chicago's South Side including multiple week-long science camps at U. Chicago's Yerkes Observatory. As a postdoc, he helped teach five semesters of for-credit math and statistics classes in state and federal prisons as part of Princeton's Prison Teaching Initiative. Dr. Johnson is particularly looking forward to continuing equity-focused outreach in partnership with programs at Michigan.
Current Work:
Sean Johnson's current work involves a combination of galaxy surveys and observations of the surrounding gas both in emission and through sensitive UV absorption spectroscopy with the Magellan Telescopes and Hubble Space Telescope. These observations enable unique physical insights into the gas flows that govern galaxy evolution and the disposition of matter in the universe. Most recently, Dr. Johnsons started working with new integral field spectrographs which enable the discovery and three-dimensional mapping of giant ionized gas nebulae around quasar host galaxies that result from gravitational stripping and winds driven by supermassive black holes.
Research Area Keyword(s):
Observational astronomy, galaxy evolution, the intergalactic medium, quasars/supermassive black holes
