Stephanie Juneau (CEA-Saclay, Paris)

Stephanie Juneau Colloquium -- The Fueling of Black Holes in Galaxies from Cosmic Noon till Dusk

Abstract

While it is clear that gas fuels both star formation and nuclear
activity in galaxies, the connection between the growth of their
stellar content and that of their central supermassive black hole
remains elusive. Previous surveys attempting to address this issue
have been biased against obscured or moderate luminosity systems
therefore only allowed us to sketch a partial picture, and an
incomplete census of all the phases of black hole growth. I will
present several complementary active galactic nuclei (AGN) selection
methods, and highlight important recent results regarding (i) the
triggering of AGN in star-forming galaxies, (ii) possible connections
between obscuration of the central engine and the host galaxies,
linking the very small scale fueling region (sub-parsec) to an
impressive variety of physical scales (perhaps up to ~kpc) within the
surrounding galaxy, and (iii) a new mode of black hole growth in
galaxies. I will discuss the implications of these results and how
care must be taken when applying the same AGN finding methods to
evolving populations of galaxies throughout cosmic time.