May 2001 - Intrigued by what black holes are and how they form, David Hough, a physics professor at Trinity University, will spend much of this summer gazing at the stars. In June, he will launch a four-year study of active galactic nuclei, which are believed to harbor massive black holes. 

Professor Hough and several students will use radio telescopes to study electromagnetic processes, which are not well understood but are thought to accelerate and result in intense, episodic emissions of matter inside a black hole. Much of their work is being funded by a $137,994 research grant awarded by the National Science Foundation.

“Black holes are massive stars that collapse,” Professor Hough says. “Gravity is so strong that not even light can escape. That's why they are called black holes. This phenomenon can happen to individual stars or in the center of a galaxy.”

By analyzing material that comes out of a black hole, Professor Hough says he will be able to track the physics properties occurring inside the collapsed stars and try to shed light on active galaxies.

For more information about Professor Hough's research or his NSF grant, contact Susie P. Gonzalez at (210) 999-8406 or e-mail Susie.Gonzalez@Trinity.edu.