Can Supermassive Black Holes Influence the Evolution of their Host Galaxies?
Abstract
Powerful winds driven by active galactic nuclei (AGN) are often invoked to play a fundamental role in the evolution of both supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their host galaxies, quenching star formation and explaining the tight SMBH-galaxy relations. A strong support of this "quasar-mode" feedback came from the recent X-ray observation of a mildly relativistic accretion disk wind in the ultraluminous infrared galaxy IRAS F11119+3257 hosting a luminous quasar at the center. Energetics arguments indicate a connection with a massive, large-scale molecular outflow observed in infrared with Herschel. This seems to be in agreement with theoretical models in which AGN winds drive hot bubbles in the host galaxy medium, thereby providing a link between the SMBH and the gas out of which stars form. This work was the “cover story” of the March 26th 2015 issue of Nature. Revolutionary improvements in this field are expected from ASTRO-H and Athena.
- Publication:
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AAS/High Energy Astrophysics Division #15
- Pub Date:
- April 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016HEAD...1540006T