Science Publications Note Prof’s Research on Black Holes

Research by Dr. Marc Seigar, assistant professor of physics and astronomy in the College of Science and Math, is helping determine the size and weight of a super-massive black hole eight billion light years away – thousands of times farther than most black hole masses can be resolved today. The research is highlighted in an online issue of “Science News” posted April 8. Seigar and his colleagues have concluded that the larger the black hole at the center of a spiral galaxy, the tighter the galaxy’s arms wrap around itself. If correct, the simple relationship would give researchers an easy way to learn about black holes. Seigar joined UALR’s faculty in 2007 following a stint as an assistant project scientist and McCue Fellow at the University of California-Irvine. His other experience includes postdoctoral research associate at the University of California-Irvine, adjunct professor at the University of Hawaii-Hilo, postdoctoral research associate at the University of London’s Imperial College and at Ghent University in Belgium. He also was a visiting astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Seigar, who earned a Ph.D in astrophysics at John Moores University in Liverpool, teaches Introduction to Astronomy at UALR as well as research in clusters and intercluster light, star formations in galaxies, and submillimeter galaxies.