Tackling Galaxy/Black Hole Coevolution Using Improved Galaxy Merger Identifications

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Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are compact regions at the centers of galaxies that are much brighter than would be expected if they were composed merely of stars. The radiation from an AGN is thought to be due to matter falling into a super-massive black hole (SMBH), perhaps due to the merger of two galaxies. The team will use telescopes to break down light into its component colors to identify and classify merging galaxies that might contain SMBH. They will use computers to make models of simulated merging galaxies for comparison. Finally, they will apply their results to 10,000 galaxies in a sky survey to determine the importance of galaxy mergers in the lives of active galactic nuclei. The PI will work with planetarium staff and educators to develop a planetarium show (in both English and Spanish) aimed at middle-school students. The show will be distributed free of charge to other planetariums. The team will use the technique known as integral field spectroscopy (IFS) to develop the first systematic kinematic galaxy classification scheme. They demonstrate conclusively that IFS surveys are the preferred method for detecting late-stage mergers of galaxies. The combination of their observations and the proposed simulated galaxy mergers has the potential to resolve disagreements between models and observations.