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Adi Foord

Assistant Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Before joining the UMBC Physics Department, Dr. Foord was a Porat Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University, working at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC). While at KIPAC, Dr. Foord worked with Chandra and XMM-Newton to measure the X-ray activity of interacting supermassive black holes. She also used the Hubble Space Telescope, Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and WISE Infrared telescope to learn more about how the environments of supermassive black holes impact their evolution and growth.

Although there is now broad consensus that active galactic nuclei (AGN) play important roles in the evolution of their surroundings, the processes that trigger the various forms of AGN activity remain unclear. Major galaxy mergers have been predicted to induce AGN, however, whether or not galaxy-galaxy interactions trigger accretion onto SMBHs remains a topic of debate. Dr. Foord’s research focuses on observational flags of merger-driven SMBH growth, or dual AGN; they are signposts of ongoing galaxy formation and represent rare instances where the link between environment and black hole growth (or, lack thereof) can be probed. As an observational astronomer, Dr. Foord uses X-ray observations (Chandra, XMM-Newton, Swift) to observe accreting supermassive black holes, and connects their X-ray activity to the emission of their host galaxies (in optical and IR, with telescopes such as SDSS, HST, and WISE). Generally, Dr. Foord is interested in high-resolution X-ray astronomy and enjoys searching for evidence of extended X-ray emission around accreting supermassive black holes to better understand their evolution across cosmic time.

Space Science Series

Could a telescope ever see the beginning of time? An astronomer explains

Apr 09, 2024 12:48 pm UTC| Science

The James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST for short, is one of the most advanced telescopes ever built. Planning for JWST began over 25 years ago, and construction efforts spanned over a decade. It was launched into space on...

Economy

Asian Currencies Steady Ahead of US CPI as Oil Prices Rise

Asian currencies were mostly unchanged against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday as investors awaited key U.S. inflation data that could shape expectations for the Federal Reserves next interest-rate decision. Meanwhile, rising...

Canada, US Hold Fresh Trade Talks as August 19 Tariff Deadline Nears

Canada and the United States held another round of high-level trade talks on Tuesday as Ottawa seeks to prevent new U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods from taking effect on August 19. Dominic LeBlanc, Canadas minister...

Australia Sets New Minimum Pay, Insurance Rules for Gig Workers

Australias Fair Work Commission (FWC) has approved new minimum standards for food and grocery delivery workers, giving gig economy workers higher pay and greater protection against workplace injuries. Under the new rules,...

Gold Price Holds Near $4,400 as Hormuz Risks and CPI Drive Markets

Gold prices climbed on Wednesday, remaining close to the $4,400-an-ounce mark as uncertainty surrounding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz boosted oil prices and kept investors focused on the Federal Reserves...

Oil Prices Rise as Hormuz Tensions Threaten Global Supply

Oil prices climbed on Wednesday, approaching a two-week high as uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz and fresh attacks on shipping raised concerns about prolonged disruptions to global crude supplies. Brent crude oil...

Politics

Peggy Flanagan Wins Minnesota Democratic Senate Nomination

Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan has secured the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, setting up a closely watched general election contest against Republican nominee Michele Tafoya. U.S. media outlets...

U.S. Military Operations Killed 153 Civilians in 2025, Pentagon Says

U.S. military operations killed 153 civilians and wounded another 243 in 2025, according to Pentagon assessments cited by a U.S. official, marking a sharp increase from the civilian casualty figures reported for 2024. The...

Bashar al-Assad Sentenced to Death After Syria Regime Collapse

Bashar al-Assads 24-year rule over Syria ended dramatically in December 2024 after rebel forces launched a rapid offensive that overwhelmed his weakened military. With Russia focused on its war in Ukraine and Iran weakened...

Trump Signs Order to Cut Routine Childhood Vaccines

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order seeking to reduce the number of routine childhood vaccinations recommended in the United States and directing the Justice Department to challenge certain state vaccine...

Wisconsin Democratic Primary Tests Progressive Appeal

Democratic socialist Francesca Hong and moderate David Crowley remained locked in a tight race Tuesday in Wisconsins closely watched Democratic gubernatorial primary, offering an important test of progressive candidates...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

OpenAI Executive Brad Lightcap to Leave for New AI Venture

Brad Lightcap, one of OpenAIs most senior executives and its former chief operating officer, is leaving the artificial intelligence company to launch a new venture, adding to a series of major leadership changes across the...

Anthropic Signs $9.1B AI Data Center Deal With Riot Platforms

Anthropic has reportedly signed a $9.1 billion long-term agreement with Riot Platforms (NASDAQ: RIOT) to secure large-scale AI computing capacity, marking another major investment by the Claude developer as demand for...

Trump Media Says Truth API Draws 10+ Customers as Conflict Concerns Grow

Trump Media Technology Group said Monday that more than 10 customers have signed up for its upcoming Truth API, a real-time data service designed to provide rapid access to posts from prominent Truth Social accounts,...

Nvidia Secures $500 Billion AI Infrastructure Push With Wall Street Giants

Nvidia is expanding its influence beyond semiconductors after announcing agreements aimed at mobilizing up to $500 billion in third-party capital for artificial intelligence infrastructure. The move brings the AI chip...

SEC Clears Path for Data Center Securitizations as AI Financing Demand Surges

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has provided regulatory clarification that could make it easier for data center owners and operators to access capital markets as the artificial intelligence boom drives...