NRAO/Socorro Colloquium Series
Tim Heckman
John Hopkins University
The Co-Evolution of Galaxies and Black Holes: A Local Perspective
I will summarize our current
understanding on the relation between the evolution of black holes and
galaxies in the local universe. I will show that the growth of
supermassive black holes as traced by optically luminous active
galactic nuclei is strongly linked to the on-going formation of stars
in the bulge component of galaxies. It is likely that this co-evolution
is driven by the accretion and radial transport of cold gas, but major
mergers of galaxies are not the primary mechanism for doing this. I
will show that the fuel source for the black hole growth may be mass
loss from intermediate mass stars and that the black hole growth may be
limited in part by feedback from supernovae. I will also show that the
characteristic mass scales for the populations of growing black holes
and bulges are
substantially lower now than in the past. The most massive black holes
are largely quiescent today with low-level activity driven by the slow
accretion of hot gas. The weak radio jets such black holes commonly
produce may nonetheless may play a key role in suppressing star
formation, keeping their surrounding host galaxy"red and dead".
November 2, 2012
11:00 am
Array Operations Center Auditorium
All NRAO employees are invited to attend via video, available in Charlottesville Room 230, Green Bank Room 137 and Tucson N525.
Local Host: Chris Carilli
