Adjunct Faculty

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Luke Zoltan Kelley

Assistant Adjunct Professor of Astronomy

Office:
501R Campbell Hall

Contact:
E:lzkelley@berkeley.edu

Theoretical & computational astrophysics theory of gravitational-wave and multi-messenger transient sources, especially massive black holes (MBHs) and active galactic nuclei (AGN).

Specialty areas

Active galaxies,Astrophysics,Black hole transients,Black holes,Compact astrophysical objects,Compact object mergers,Evolution of Galaxies,Galactic Centers,Galaxies,Gamma-ray bursts,Neutron Stars,Theoretical and computational astrophysics,Tidal disruption events.

Research

My research is in astrophysics theory at the intersection of high-energy transients and cosmological environments. My goal is to utilize both gravitational wave and electromagnetic observations to understand the formation and evolution of the most energetic objects in the universe.

My focus has been primarily on multi-messenger astrophysics with low-frequency gravitational waves: those produced by binaries of massive black holes (MBHs). This new class of gravitational waves will soon be detected by pulsar timing arrays like NANOGrav, which will revolutionize our understanding of MBH and galaxy coevolution within the next decade. I also study stellar tidal disruption events, the detailed structure of active galactic nuclei, LIGO sources, and the reciprocal relationship of explosive transients and galactic environments.

To learn more, check out my personal webpage at www.lzkelley.com