Department of Astronomy Center for Radiophysics & Space Research

What molecular gas teaches us about AGN feedback

25Wednesday, Jan. 25
Katherine Alatalo (Carnegie Observatories)
12:15 PM
622 Space Sciences

In galaxy evolution, "AGN feedback" (the action of an accreting supermassive black hole to heat and expel star-forming fuel) has been invoked in order to stunt the growth of the most massive red elliptical galaxies and rapidly cease star formation in a transitioning galaxy by blowing out the remaining star-forming fuel. Observations in the last 5 years have shown that outflows of gas around AGNs are ubiquitous. Although on the surface, these observed outflows appear to provide the necessary power to remove gas rapidly, their ubiquity also directly challenges their effectiveness. I will discuss my analysis of these observations of AGN outflow host galaxies at z=0, including the case study of NGC1266, and what implications they have on how AGN outflows function in black hole growth, our interpretation of AGN feedback, and on the evolution of gas in AGN host galaxies.

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Alatalo Seminar