Piecing Together the History of Brightest Cluster Galaxies

The research objective of this program is to determine when and how “Brightest Cluster Galaxies” assembled. These types of galaxies are the most massive galaxies in the universe and host the most massive black holes. These galaxies stand out by their brightness and size when compared to other galaxies. This program will trace the evolution of Brightest Cluster Galaxies over almost 10 billion years and determine how they became the dominant galaxy in their environment. These goals will be achieved through the study of data obtained by telescopes operating at different wavelengths. This research program will form the basis of a doctoral thesis, and will support a highly successful, ongoing outreach program for enlisted veterans. This program will carry out the first evolutionary study of the brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs) in a carefully selected sample that controls for the mass evolution of the host cluster. This study will constrain when the BCG was first established, the dominant channels of growth over the past 10 Gyr, and when radio-mode feedback first began to quench large-scale cooling and suppress star formation in these massive galaxies. These goals will be achieved through a multiwavelength study of BCGs in a unique sample of more than 800 massive galaxy clusters lying along a common evolutionary path. Through the Warrior-Scholar Project, this program will offer STEM bootcamps to enlisted veterans at MIT. This program will provide enlisted veterans with the confidence and tools needed to successfully pursue a degree in STEM fields. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.