Thomas Harvey

Welcome to my website! If you haven’t noticed already, my name is Thomas (Tom) Harvey! I’m currently a PhD student studying at the Jodrell Bank Center for Astrophysics. I am researching the first stars and galaxies using the James Webb Space Telescope with Professor Christopher Conselice.

I spent the final year of my undergraduate degree working at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I studied AGN feedback using Chandra and Hubble imaging and spectroscopy with Dr. W. Peter Maksym, as part of Dr. Pepi Fabbiano’s research group.

Most galaxies are thought to contain a supermassive black hole at the center, which can affect the evolution of the entire galaxy. Understanding the relationship between black holes and galaxies is crucial for our understanding of how galaxies like our own have evolved! My research focused on NGC 5972, which is a spectacular galaxy with large double helix shaped gas clouds as well as a small bubble containing a massive black hole (an AGN, or Active Galactic Nuclei). I looked at the role of the black hole, jets and outflows in creating and sustaining these features. Learn more about my research here. You can read the pre-print of the paper I submitted here.

I’m from the island of Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, which not many people have heard of. I’ve been very involved with the local astronomy club for many years, and much of my astronomical outreach, including articles, talks, radio and TV interviews has been through them. You can find out more about my outreach here.

I edit and write articles for La Societe Guernesiase Astronomy Section, both for the website and the newsletter. You can find them here. I am an amateur astrophotographer, so you should be able to find some pictures I’ve taken personally here. (suprisingly few astronomers can still say that!).

This website is a continual work in progress, but you should find information on my current research, previous projects, outreach and science communication, other and other random blog posts.