Monsters in the dark: supermassive black hole masses and AGN feedback in the WISDOM project

North, Eve 2020. Monsters in the dark: supermassive black hole masses and AGN feedback in the WISDOM project. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

In this thesis I present high resolution interferometric observations of molecular gas in nearby galaxies, observed as part of the mm-Wave Interferometric Survey of Dark Object Masses (WISDOM) project. I demonstrate the ability of these observations to resolve the kinematics of the molecular gas, and then show what these observations reveal about galaxy evolution, in particular on the co-evolution of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their host galaxies. The molecular gas in galaxies provides the fuel from which stars form, and as such understanding this phase of the interstellar medium is clearly crucial if we wish to understand how galaxies quench as they evolve. Until the recent arrival of (sub-)millimetre interferometers with long baselines we have lacked information on the resolved properties of this gas on small scales in galaxies. As part of this thesis I will show the power of such high resolution observations to reveal some of the processes that drive galaxy evolution for instance regulation of the central gas reservoir of galaxies. In this thesis I will also detail the molecular gas method for measuring SMBH masses. This method is the the foundation of the WISDOM project, of which I am an active member. I will introduce the aims of the project, the work we do and the additional research we are able to do with the data obtained. In summary the work presented in this thesis will aide in the expansion of the SMBH mass sample, and therefore the exploration of the co-evolution of SMBHs and their host galaxies. The work will also help add evidence for the importance of AGN in regulat- ing the growth and quiescence of their host galaxy.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Physics and Astronomy
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Astronomy, Galaxies, AGN, Molecular gas, Submillimeter, Supermassive black holes, Galaxy evolution
Funders:	STFC
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	21 January 2021
Last Modified:	26 Oct 2021 01:41
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/137841

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