Radio-Mode Feedback in Massive Galaxies at Redshift 0 < z < 1

We have carried out a large observational study of the radio luminosities, stellar populations, and environments of massive galaxies over the redshift range 0 < z < 1. Radio jets powered by an accreting central black hole are common in massive galaxies, and there is a large class of “optically quiet AGN,” with radio emission but no optical/IR signature of black-hole accretion. The central black holes in these galaxies are probably accreting in a radiatively inefficient mode, and our results suggest that “radio-mode feedback” as described by Croton et al. is likely to occur in all masssive early-type galaxies at z < 0.8. While it appears that radio-loud AGN occur episodically in all massive early-type galaxies, we also identify a sub-population of galaxies with powerful radio sources and a prominent younger (~ 10⁸ yr) stellar population that may have undergone recent mergers.