I study accreting supermassive black holes to measure how their activity is linked to their environment.
To view my full publication list please see my ADS Library here
My work focuses on studying the unique environments that contribute to supermassive black hole growth during mergers
Host-galaxy properties and large-scale dust and gas levels
(~100s of gravitational radii)
~tens kilo-parsec
~Giga-parsec
Gas levels surrounding the SMBHs
Evolution of merging SMBHs across the Universe
Interacting SMBHs
The majority of my work focuses on finding pairs of merging supermassive black holes, and learning more about their preferential environments and evolution through mergers.
Selected Publications:
Foord, A., Cappelluti, N., Volonteri, M., et al.
Tracking SMBH mergers from kpc to sub-pc scales with AXIS, 2024, Universe, 10, 237
Sandoval, B., Foord, A., Allen, S. W., et al.
Searching for the Highest-z Dual AGN in the Deepest Chandra Surveys, 2024, ApJ, 974, 121
Foord, A., Liu, X., Gültekin, K., et al.
Investigating the Accretion Nature of Binary Supermassive Black Hole Candidate SDSS J025214.67-002813.7, 2022, ApJ, 927, 3
Chen, Y.C., Xin, L., Foord, A., et al.
A Close Quasar Pair in a Disk-Disk Galaxy Merger at z = 2.17, 2023, Nature, 616, 45
Foord, A., Gültekin, K., Runnoe, J., et al.
AGN Triality of Triple Mergers: Multi-wavelength Classifications, 2021, ApJ, 907, 72
Foord, A., Gültekin, K., Runnoe, J., et al.
AGN Triality of Triple Mergers: Detection of Faint X-ray Point Sources, 2021, ApJ, 907, 71
High-Resolution X-ray Imaging
Using statistical tools, I'm interested in better understanding the X-ray emission surrounding SMBHs. This includes high-redshift quasars, lensed quasars, and AGN in nucleated galaxies.
Selected Publications:
Foord, A., Civano, F., Comerford, J., et al.
Chandra Discovery of a Candidate Hyper-Luminous X-ray Source in MCG+11-11-032, 2024, submitted, ApJ
Gültekin, K., Gebhardt, K., Kormendy, J., Foord, A., et al.
The Black Hole Mass and Photometric Components of NGC 4826, 2024, ApJ, 974, 16
Porraz Barrera, N., Lopez, S., Lopez, L, Foord, A., et al.
Hot Gas Outflow Properties of the Starburst Galaxy NGC 4945, 2024, ApJ, 968, 54
Hyman, S., Wilkes, B. J., Wilmer, S. P., et al.
A Multiwavelength Portrait of the 3C 220.3 Lensed System, 2024, ApJ, 974, 171
Pacucci, F., Foord, A., Gordon, L., et al. MNRAS
Lensing in the darkness: a Bayesian analysis of 22 Chandra sources at z 6 shows no evidence of lensing, MNRAS, 514, 2855
Baldassare, V., Stone, N., Foord, A., et al. 2022, ApJ
Massive Black Hole Formation in Dense Stellar Environments: Enhanced X-Ray Detection Rates in Highvelocity Dispersion Nuclear Star Clusters, ApJ, 929, 84
Future Missions
I am interested and involved in future astrophysics missions focused on novel and ground-breaking measurements.
I'm a Co-I for the mission probe concept AXIS (recently selected for Phase A study!) , leading the AGN pairs science case, and co-leading the SMBH Growth and Evolution SWG.
The AXIS SMBH SWG recently published a slew of papers showcasing the exciting science possible with the mission:
Tracking SMBHs from kpc to sub-pc-scales
Surveying the Onset and Evolution of Supermassive Black Holes at High-z with AXIS
X-ray Redshifts for Obscured AGN with AXIS Deep and Intermediate Surveys
Detecting Wandering Intermediate-Mass Black Holes with AXIS
Uncovering the First AGN Jets with AXIS
Resolving Hot Gas inside Bondi Radius of SMBHs with AXIS
I am a member of the Astrophysics Working Group of the LISA Consortium, where I am connecting large-scale AGN pair statistics to better understand future LISA measurements.
