Title:
A multi-faceted perspective of how supermassive black holes influence galaxy evolution
Abstract:
Growing supermassive black holes, which reside at the centres of all massive galaxies, release an extraordinary amount of energy when they accrete material. The energy released from these accreting supermassive black holes (or Active Galactic Nuclei; AGN), is believed to be integral to dictating the properties of their host galaxies. However, exactly how, and to what extent, these AGN are able to influence galaxy evolution is a matter of ongoing debate. In this talk I will present our multi-faceted approach to solving this problem. Our `Quasar Feedback Survey’ is a multi-wavelength observational campaign to catch the most powerful AGN in the act of influencing their host galaxies. I will demonstrate how radio observations have revealed the (perhaps surprising) importance of radio jets in these systems and how multi-phase galactic outflows are being driven by these jets. On the other hand, the immediate impact of AGN on star formation and molecular gas content inside galaxies appears to be very small – an observation that has sometimes been used to suggest a lack of importance of AGN feedback. However, I will demonstrate how this observation is not actually in conflict with predictions from current cosmological simulations.
