Descripción del proyecto
Descubrir el mecanismo que impulsa el crecimiento de los núcleos galácticos activos
Los núcleos galácticos activos se encuentran entre los fenómenos astrofísicos más espectaculares del cielo. Son pequeñas regiones en los centros de las galaxias que emiten enormes cantidades de energía y que se alimentan de la acreción de gas en los agujeros negros presentes con frecuencia en los centros de las galaxias supermasivas. El proyecto CR-GAS, financiado por las Acciones Marie Skłodowska-Curie, tiene por objeto descubrir las características físicas de la galaxia huésped que desencadenan o detienen este proceso de alimentación de los agujeros negros. Los investigadores estudiarán las estructuras de contrarrotación en las galaxias para determinar el mecanismo de transporte del gas e investigar si la contrarrotación en sí misma favorece el flujo de gas hacia el agujero negro.
Objetivo
Supermassive black holes are ubiquitous in the centres of galaxies. They remain largely invisible to our probes, except during their active phases (AGN), when gas is accreted onto the black hole. The energy output of AGN is thought to be able to regulate the growth of galaxies and supermassive black holes. However, we still do not understand how gas is transported to fuel the AGN. One of the outstanding challenges in galaxy evolution is to uncover what physical conditions in the host galaxy trigger or halt the black hole feeding process. In this Global Fellowship project I will make significant advances to solve the problem of AGN fuelling with an innovative approach. I propose to use counter-rotating structures in galaxies to determine: 1) how gas is transported, and 2) if counter-rotation itself promotes the flow of gas to the black hole. Counter-rotation is an unambiguous dynamical tracer that will allow me to unveil for the first time the path of gas from the large scale of the galaxy to the central black hole, thereby determining what physical mechanisms transport gas. I will carry out the project at two world renowned institutions: the University of California Los Angeles and the University of Copenhagen. During the fellowship I will acquire broad skills on photometry analysis and comparison samples to combine with my current expertise on state-of-the-art data analysis and dynamical models to reach the science goals of the project. I will receive additional training on proposal and grant application writing to enhance my career opportunities at the end of the fellowship. On the incoming phase I will bring my acquired expertise and access to a network of international collaborators to Europe, which is important for European institutes to maximise their returns from cutting-edge facilities and instruments with focus on black holes, such as the Event Horizon Telescope and GRAVITY.
Ámbito científico
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
1165 Kobenhavn
Dinamarca