Co-evolution of galaxies and Active Galactic Nuclei

TL;DR

This paper reviews the co-evolution of galaxies and active galactic nuclei, highlighting the correlations between supermassive black holes and galaxy properties, and discussing how AGNs influence their host galaxies.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of observational evidence and theoretical ideas on the interconnected evolution of galaxies and AGNs, including feedback processes.

Findings

Strong correlation between SMBH masses and galaxy properties

Similar evolution patterns of nuclear activity and star formation

Discussion of AGN feedback effects on galaxy evolution

Abstract

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) have been found to be ubiquitous in the nuclei of early-type galaxies and of bulges of spirals. There are evidences of a tight correlation between the SMBH masses, the velocity dispersions of stars in the spheroidal components galaxies and other galaxy properties. Also the evolution of the luminosity density due to nuclear activity is similar to that due to star formation. All that suggests an evolutionary connection between Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) and their host galaxies. After a review of these evidences this lecture discusses how AGNs can affect the host galaxies. Other feedback processes advocated to account for the differences between the halo and the stellar mass functions are also briefly introduced.