Dr. Nancy A. Levenson is a Senior Scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and a Research Professor in Johns Hopkins University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy. She previously served as the Deputy Director and Interim Director of STScI. In these roles, she supported the communities that STScI serves through space missions, including JWST, Hubble, and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Before joining the Institute, she served as the Deputy Director and Head of Science at Gemini Observatory and was a tenured faculty member at the University of Kentucky. 

The visit will advance research with members of the Galaxy Activity, Torus, and Outflow Survey (GATOS) collaboration at the IAC. There is a fundamental connection between the inflow of material that feeds active galactic nuclei (AGN) and subsequent outflow of energy and mass that drives host galaxy evolution. The work aims to measure the imprint of feedback, which governs this connection, focusing on the central kiloparsec of active galaxies. We will compare nearby and distant examples of AGN, especially with JWST observations at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths. The local examples provide high angular resolution and high sensitivity tests of models of the obscuring “torus” that is typical of AGN. The observed properties depend strongly on the geometric configuration of material around the AGN and its composition. The more distant objects are more luminous, and we will investigate the validity of local examples as templates for high-redshift sources, including the unusual “Little Red Dots.”

The visit will also support development of early career researchers. Those already at the IAC are conducting detailed studies of the energetics in individual galaxies. A long-term goal is to establish a more comprehensive training program related to GATOS science. 

During the visit, Dr. Levenson will give an IAC colloquium on “Probing the Multi-Phase Environment of Active Galactic Nuclei.”