Research Division Seminar
Too young to be true: black hole feedback and the evolution of galaxies

Abstract

Black hole feedback is central to our theoretical understanding of galaxies. The energy and momentum radiated by growing supermassive black holes is expected to regulate the baryonic cycle, in particular, within massive dark matter halos, modulating gas cooling and thus star formation. Observational evidence of the role of black hole feedback remains, however, scarce, casting serious doubt on our current galaxy formation modelling. In this talk I will summarize our recent efforts trying to empirically characterize the effect of black hole feedback on galactic scales. I will describe how the combination of detailed stellar population analysis and well-known scaling relations can be used to actually constrain the physical processes behind black hole feedback. Moreover, I will also present evidence of black hole feedback acting beyond the host galaxy, further supporting the importance of black hole feedback in regulating the evolution of galaxies.