Astrophysics PhD Candidate at UChicago | Diffuse Gas in Galaxies
I am a PhD candidate in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago, working with Prof. Hsiao-Wen Chen. My research focuses on characterizing the multiphase gaseous environments of galaxies through a combination of observational data and theoretical modeling.
View CVWe present a comprehensive analysis of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) around galaxies at z~1 using quasar absorption spectroscopy and galaxy redshift surveys. By combining high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope spectra with spectroscopic follow-ups from ground-based observatories, we constrain the physical conditions and origins of multiphase absorbers tracing the CGM.
In this work, we investigate the role of non-equilibrium ionization processes in shaping the observed ionic column densities of CGM absorbers. Using tailored photoionization models that account for rapid cooling of the gas, we provide updated metallicity estimates and highlight key discrepancies with equilibrium assumptions.
We evaluate the ionization state and turbulent motions in kinematically resolved cool clumps near 23 galaxies in the Cosmic Ultraviolet Baryon Survey. Combined with literature samples, we find subsonic motions within clumps with an agreement between cool gas and hot gas pressures for Milky Way-like and Luminous Red Galaxies. We also note a decreasing cool gas fraction with halo mass.
Email: suyashk@uchicago.edu