Nate Lujan
Masters student
I am a master's student in Dr. Richard Anantua's theory and simulations group, currently pursuing a PhD with a focus on black holes and primordial black holes as candidates for dark matter. My academic journey began at The University of Texas at San Antonio, where I earned my bachelor's in physics, graduating Cum Laude. I initially explored high-energy astrophysics through X-ray spectroscopy before transitioning into theoretical cosmology.
In collaboration with Dr. Richard Anantua and Dr. Karl Gebhardt from UT Austin, I modeled the galaxy Segue 1, varying parameters such as the mass-to-light ratio, scale radius, circular velocity, and central black hole mass. By fitting all parameters simultaneously, I found that models incorporating a supermassive black hole provided a more accurate description of the galaxy's dynamics than traditional dark matter models. This work suggests that Segue 1 may be best understood as the remnant nucleus of a more massive galaxy, dominated by a central black hole rather than dark matter.
I am attempting to adapt these models to study other galaxies, with the goal of eventually applying them to superclusters. As I advance in my master's program and pursue my PhD, I am excited to continue investigating galaxy formation and dark matter using advanced simulations and high-performance computing.