Related papers: Observational Overview of the Feeding of Active Ga…
I discuss feeding and feedback processes observed in the inner few hundred parsecs of nearby active galaxies using integral field spectroscopy at spatial resolutions of a few to tens of parsecs. Signatures of feedback include outflows from…
Of the mechanisms proposed to bring gaseous fuel into the central starburst regions of a galaxy, non-axisymmetries in the gravitational potential set up by interactions or by bars are among the most promising. Nevertheless, direct…
Active Galactic Nuclei are fueled from material (gas or stars) that are in general far away from the gravitational influence of the central black hole, the engine thought to be responsible for their activity. The required material has a lot…
We suggest that most nearby active galactic nuclei are fed by a series of small--scale, randomly--oriented accretion events. Outside a certain radius these events promote rapid star formation, while within it they fuel the supermassive…
Recent high-resolution observations indicate that nuclear spirals are often present in the innermost few hundred parsecs of disc galaxies. My models show that nuclear spirals form naturally as a gas response to non-axisymmetry in the…
Observations at multiple wavelengths are reviewed to search for evidence for fueling mechanisms in galaxies, both for nuclear starbursts and AGN activity. Although it is undisputed that dynamical perturbations such as bars or tidal…
Interactions between galaxies are suggested to be a mechanism responsible for feeding Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). Theoretical models show that interactions are an efficient way to drive gas from the galaxy to the nucleus, however, the…
Growing supermassive black holes (Active Galactic Nuclei; AGN) release energy with the potential to alter their host galaxies and larger-scale environment; a process named "AGN feedback". Feedback is a required component of galaxy formation…
Galaxy nuclei are a unique laboratory to study gas flows. High-resolution imaging of the gas flows in galactic nuclei are instrumental in the study of the fueling and the feedback of star formation and nuclear activity in nearby galaxies.…
Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are energetic astrophysical sources powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes in galaxies, and present unique observational signatures that cover the full electromagnetic spectrum over more than twenty…
What are the main drivers of activity in the local universe? Observations have been instrumental in identifying the mechanisms responsible for fueling activity in galaxy nuclei. In this context we summarize the main results of the NUclei of…
A recent analysis of HST optical images of 34 nearby early-type active galaxies and of a matched sample of 34 inactive galaxies - both drawn from the Palomar survey - shows a clear excess of nuclear dusty structures (filaments, spirals and…
This paper summarizes the observations which provide the best evidence for the presence of black holes in active galactic nuclei. This includes: X-ray variability; kinematical studies using optical emission lines as well as the distribution…
This volume presents an overview of selected aspects of physical processes occurring in the inner regions of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). The observational evidence suggests that strong gravitational fields play a significant role in…
Supermassive Black Holes grow at the center of galaxies in consonance with them. In this review we discuss the mass feeding mechanisms that lead to this growth in Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), focusing on constraints derived from…
I discuss evidences for bar-driven gas fueling in the central regions of galaxies, focusing on scales down to about 10 pc. I thus mention the building of inner disks, and the link with resonances, as well as the corresponding kinematic…
We present a new study investigating whether active galactic nuclei (AGN) beyond the local universe are preferentially fed via large-scale bars. Our investigation combines data from Chandra and Galaxy Zoo: Hubble (GZH) in the AEGIS, COSMOS,…
Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are highly energetic astrophysical sources powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes in galaxies, which present unique observational signatures covering the full electromagnetic spectrum (and more) over…
This article gives a brief overview of the direct and indirect evidence in support of the standard paradigm that active galactic nuclei are powered by supermassive black holes.
It has long been suspected that Active Galactic Nuclei are powered by accretion of matter onto massive black holes and this belief implies their presence in the nuclei of most nearby galaxies as "relics" of past activity. Just a few years…