I'm an NSF Graduate Research Fellow in the UC Berkeley Department of Astronomy. I study the formation and evolution of galaxies using data from across the spectrum, optical to radio. I'm interested in radial color gradients in galaxies, both as a bias in size measurements and as an independent probe of galaxy evolution. I also use multi-wavelength observations of post-starburst galaxies to investigate the physical mechanisms that cause galaxies to stop forming stars. My primary research advisor is Mariska Kriek. I publish under my full name, Katherine A. Suess.

I studied physics in undergrad at the University of Colorado, Boulder. I worked with Jeremy Darling to identify OH megamasers in the ALFALFA neutral hydrogen survey and with Marty Snow to model solar extreme ultraviolet irradiance.

## My Research

Right now, I'm primarily preoccupied by two questions. How do galaxies grow? And what makes galaxies stop forming stars?

To study galaxy growth, I use multi-band high-resolution imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope to measure radial color gradients in galaxies. These color gradients can bias measurements of galaxy sizes, affecting our understanding of how galaxies grow. But color gradients aren't just a bias, they're an additional independent way to probe galaxy evolution: they represent radial variations in stellar population properties, and can thus shed light on how galaxies assemble their mass.
I also study galaxy "quenching," the process that transforms disky blue star-forming galaxies into red elliptical quiescent galaxies. I primarily study this transition by investigating post-starburst galaxies. These rare galaxies have just completed their major star-forming episode; since they represent the direct products of the quenching process, they're the ideal laboratory to understand what causes galaxies to quench.

### Dissecting the size-mass and $$\Sigma_1$$-mass relations at 1 < z < 2.5: galaxy mass profiles and color gradients as a function of spectral shape

In this paper, we separate the Suess+19a sample of galaxies into sixteen different groups with similar spectral shapes. These groups allow us to investigate how galaxies move through the size-mass and $$\Sigma_1$$-mass structural planes as they evolve. We find that the star-forming size-mass relation is composed of a series of steep, overlapping parallel relations for galaxies with different specific star formation rates. This new view of the star-forming size-mass relation can be fully explained as a transformation of the $$\Sigma_1$$-mass relation and its scatter. We also find evidence that there are two distinct pathways for galaxies to shut down their star formation: a fast quenching pathway which requires structural change, and a slow pathway that does not. Fast-quenching post-starburst galaxies are primarily found at higher redshift, while slow-quenching green valley galaxies dominate the growth of the quiescent sequence at low redshift. Our results suggest that star-forming galaxies grow gradually up the $$\Sigma_1$$-mass relation until (a) they naturally reach the high $$\Sigma_1$$ values required for quiescence, or (b) a compaction-type event rapidly increases their $$\Sigma_1$$.

### Color gradients along the quiescent galaxy sequence: clues to quenching and structural growth

In this Letter, we study the sizes and color gradients of quiescent galaxies as a function of age. In contrast to previous results, we find that the youngest quiescent galaxies ("post-starburst" galaxies) are not significantly smaller than older quiescent galaxies. Systematic differences in the color gradient strengths of young and old quiescent galaxies are responsible for most of the apparent size difference. We also find that the central mass surface densities of quiescent galaxies do not depend significantly on galaxy age, implying that the oldest quiescent galaxies don't quench first. Overall, we argue that our findings are consistent where post-starburst galaxies are the result of a rapid quenching process that requires structural change; after quenching, quiescent galaxies grow inside-out via minor mergers.

### Half-mass Radii of Quiescent and Star-forming Galaxies Evolve Slowly from 0 < z < 2.5: Implications for Galaxy Assembly Histories

Here, I extended my previous analysis of color gradients and half-mass radii down to lower redshifts. We found that color gradients are nearly flat at z~2.5, then evolve rapidly until z~1; this evolution then seems to slow at z<1. This means that galaxy half-light radii are a biased tracer of galaxy sizes. This is particularly important for quiescent galaxies, whose half-light radii increase incredibly rapidly. Because quiescent galaxies aren't forming stars, this size evolution is difficult to explain. We find that the redshift evolution of quiescent half-mass radii is fully consistent with inside-out growth via minor mergers alone without the need for progenitor bias.

### Most of the Evolution in the Mass-Size Relation Is Due to Color Gradients

We typically measure the sizes of galaxies by looking at their light profiles. But, light is a biased tracer of mass: radial variations in stellar population properties cause the mass and light profiles of a galaxy to differ. In this paper, we used multi-band imaging of ~7,000 galaxies to measure their radial color gradients. We found that most galaxies are redder in the centers than in the outskirts, and so half-mass radii tend to be smaller than half-light radii. This changes both the normalization and the slope of the galaxy mass-size relation. In particular, we find that at 1.0 < z < 2.5, most of the apparent evolution in galaxy sizes is actually due to color gradient evolution.

### Massive Quenched Galaxies at z~0.7 Retain Large Molecular Gas Reservoirs

Because stars form out of molecular gas, most theoretical mechanisms for galaxy quenching focus on how to remove or deplete molecular gas reservoirs. We set out to test these theories by examining the molecular gas content of post-starburst galaxies at z~0.7. These galaxies have just finished their major star-forming episode, and don't appear to be forming many new stars. However, we found that these galaxies still contain large reservoirs of molecular gas. What is preventing the gas in these galaxies from forming stars? Follow-up projects to come...

### Identifying OH Imposters in the ALFALFA Neutral Hydrogen Survey

Distant OH megamasers (giant space lasers that typically mark major galaxy mergers) can accidentally fall into blind spectroscopic surveys for local neutral hydrogen emitters-- the radio emission lines look just the same. In this study, which was my honors thesis project at CU Boulder, we found a method to distinguish OH megamasers and neutral hydrogen emitters based on their infrared colors. We also confirmed 127 ambiguous HI optical counterparts, discovered five new OH megamasers, and provided a way for future HI surveys to identify possible imposters without time-consuming, expensive optical spectroscopy.

## Outreach and Service

I'm currently working with UC Berkeley campus leadership to take RPR campus-wide, and make peer-led prevention training the norm in all graduate departments at Berkeley. As part of this effort, I'm part of the Coordinated Community Review Team for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence and Misconduct.

In addition to research and service within astronomy, I love sharing my passion for astronomy with the public. Find me at Cal Day, Grounds for Science, or Astro Night