Hierarchical models of galaxy formation predict that galaxy mergers represent a significant transitional stage of rapid supermassive black hole (SMBH) growth. Yet, the connection between the merging process and enhanced active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity as well as the timescale of SMBH mergers remains highly uncertain. The breakthrough in reconciling the importance of galaxy mergers with black hole growth lies in a thoroughly-studied census of dual AGN across cosmic history, which will be enabled by next-generation observational capabilities, theoretical advances, and simulations. This white paper outlines the key questions in galaxy mergers, dual and offset AGN, and proposes multiwavelength solutions using future high-resolution observatories in the X-rays (AXIS, Lynx), near and mid-infrared (30 meter class telescopes, JWST), and submillimeter (ALMA).
@article{arxiv.1903.06720,
title = {Astro2020 Science White Paper: Black Hole Growth in Mergers and Dual AGN},
author = {Michael Koss and Vivian U and Edmund Hodges-Kluck and Ezequiel Treister and Laura Blecha and Claudio Ricci and Jeyhan Kartaltepe and Dale Kocevski and Julia M. Comerford and R. Scott Barrows and Claudia Cicone and Francisco Muller-Sanchez and Kayhan Gultekin and Adi Foord and Shobita Satyapal and Jennifer Lotz},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1903.06720},
year = {2019}
}
Comments
Submission to the 2020-2030 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey (Astro2020), 10 pages, 3 figures