Tiziana Di Matteo (astrophysicist)

Tiziana Di Matteo is an Italian-American astrophysicist renowned for her work on galaxy formation and the co-evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies. She is particularly known for her pioneering use of large-scale cosmological simulations to model these processes.

Di Matteo's research focuses on understanding how galaxies, like our own Milky Way, formed and evolved over cosmic time. A key aspect of her work involves the role of active galactic nuclei (AGN), powered by supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies, and their impact on their host galaxies. She investigates how energy and momentum released by AGN can regulate star formation and influence the overall properties of galaxies.

Her work has made significant contributions to our understanding of:

• Supermassive Black Hole-Galaxy Co-evolution: Di Matteo's simulations have provided crucial insights into the feedback mechanisms between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies, demonstrating how the growth of these black holes can be linked to the evolution of the galaxy itself.

• Quasar Feedback: Her research explores how the powerful outflows and radiation from quasars (a type of AGN) can affect the gas content of galaxies, potentially quenching star formation and shaping the morphology of galaxies.

• Cosmological Simulations: Di Matteo is a leading figure in the development and application of sophisticated cosmological simulations to study galaxy formation and evolution. These simulations allow researchers to model the complex interactions of gravity, gas dynamics, and star formation over large volumes of space.

Di Matteo holds a prominent position in the astrophysics community and has received numerous awards and recognition for her contributions to the field. Her research has been widely published in leading scientific journals.