Abstract
Active galactic nuclei are among the most powerful sources of energy in the universe. They usually resides at the centre of massive galaxies and their energy is originated by the accretion of material onto a supermassive black hole. The light emitted by an active galactic nucleus can much exceed the light coming from the stars of the host galaxy and, in addition, some active galactic nuclei, called radio galaxies, are able to launch powerful two-sided jets of relativistic particles.
Active galactic nuclei gained increasing attention in galaxy evolution studies because it has been showed that they are able to heat or expel gas from their host galaxies. The interaction between the energy emitted by an active galactic nucleus and the material in the host galaxy is called 'AGN feedback' and is though to be one of the main mechanisms responsible for the quenching of the star formation in massive galaxies.
In my Ph.D. thesis I address some of the open questions related to AGN feedback and to the mechanisms involved in the accretion of gas onto a supermassive black hole. This is has been done studying the gas in radio galaxies and using different observational techniques, mainly in the optical and the infrared band. In particular, I studied some radio galaxies to understand the effect that their jets can have on the gas of the host galaxy. These galaxies allowed me to investigate, and appreciate, the complexity of the AGN feedback phenomenon and its many facets.
Active galactic nuclei gained increasing attention in galaxy evolution studies because it has been showed that they are able to heat or expel gas from their host galaxies. The interaction between the energy emitted by an active galactic nucleus and the material in the host galaxy is called 'AGN feedback' and is though to be one of the main mechanisms responsible for the quenching of the star formation in massive galaxies.
In my Ph.D. thesis I address some of the open questions related to AGN feedback and to the mechanisms involved in the accretion of gas onto a supermassive black hole. This is has been done studying the gas in radio galaxies and using different observational techniques, mainly in the optical and the infrared band. In particular, I studied some radio galaxies to understand the effect that their jets can have on the gas of the host galaxy. These galaxies allowed me to investigate, and appreciate, the complexity of the AGN feedback phenomenon and its many facets.
| Translated title of the contribution | Het multi-fase ISM in radiosterrenstelsels: een spectroscopische studie van het geïoniseerde en het warme gas |
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| Original language | English |
| Qualification | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisors/Advisors |
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| Award date | 1-Jun-2018 |
| Place of Publication | [Groningen] |
| Publisher | |
| Print ISBNs | 978-94-034-0636-7 |
| Electronic ISBNs | 978-94-034-0635-0 |
| Publication status | Published - 2018 |