Related papers: Cosmic Feedback from Supermassive Black Holes
Massive black holes are ubiquitous, occurring at the centres of all massive galaxies and possibly many low mass ones. They are no ornament which just happens to be there, but play a role vital to the growth and structure of the host galaxy.…
The most compelling evidences for the existence of stellar-mass black holes have been obtained through observations of X-ray binary systems. The application of classical methods and the development of new techniques have allowed us to…
The centers of elliptical galaxies host supermassive black holes that significantly affect the surrounding interstellar medium through feedback resulting from the accretion process. The evolution of this gas and of the nuclear emission…
Recent inspections of local available data suggest that the almost linear relation between the stellar mass of spheroids ($M_{\rm sph}$) and the mass of the super massive Black Holes (BHs) residing at their centres, shows a break below…
X-ray astronomy is closely related to the study of black hole sources. The discovery that some unseen objects, more massive than any degenerate star, emit huge amounts of X-rays helped accept the concept that back holes are present in X-ray…
We discuss the central role played by X-ray studies to reconstruct the past history of formation and evolution of supermassive Black Holes (BHs), and the role they played in shaping the properties of their host galaxies. We shortly review…
Significant historic cosmic evolution for the formation rate of stellar black holes is inferred from current theoretical models of the evolution of massive stars, the multiple observations of compact stellar remnants in the near and distant…
Detailed high-resolution observations of the innermost regions of nearby galaxies have revealed the presence of supermassive black holes1. These black holes may interact with their host galaxies by means of 'feedback' in the form of energy…
It was recently suggested that "cosmologically coupled" black holes with masses that increase in proportion to the volume of the Universe might constitute the physical basis of dark energy. We take this claim at face value and discuss its…
In the universe's most massive galaxies, kinetic feedback from a central supermassive black hole appears to limit star formation. Abundant circumstantial evidence suggests that accumulation of cold gas near the central black hole strongly…
I review the outstanding problems in galaxy formation theory, and the role of feedback in resolving them. I address the efficiency of star formation, the galactic star formation rate, and the roles of supernovae and supermassive black…
Recent observations indicate that the mass of Supermassive Black Holes (SMBHs) correlate differently with different galaxy stellar components. Comparing such observations with the results of "ab initio" galaxy formation models can provide…
The sample of dwarf galaxies with measured central black hole masses $M$ and velocity dispersions $\sigma$ has recently doubled, and gives a close fit to the extrapolation of the $M \propto \sigma$ relation for more massive galaxies. We…
By using high-resolution 1D hydrodynamical simulations, we investigate the effects of purely mechanical feedback from super massive black holes (SMBHs) in the evolution of elliptical galaxies for a broad range of feedback efficiencies and…
I propose a feedback model to explain the correlation between the supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass and the host galaxy bulge mass. The feedback is based on narrow jets that are launched by the central SMBH, and expel large amounts of…
Supermassive black holes are located at the center of most, if not all, massive galaxies. They follow close correlations with global properties of their host galaxies (scaling relations), and are thought to play a crucial role in galaxy…
We review the observed demographics and inferred evolution of supermassive black holes (BHs) found by dynamical modeling of spatially resolved kinematics. Most influential was the discovery of a tight correlation between BH mass and the…
In the early Universe, while galaxies were still forming, black holes as massive as a billion solar masses powered quasars. Supermassive black holes are found at the centers of most galaxies today, where their masses are related to the…
We discuss the importance of feedback via photoionization and Compton heating on the co-evolution of massive black holes (MBHs) at the center of spheroidal galaxies and their stellar and gaseous components. We first assess the energetics of…
Over the past 13 years, the Chandra X-ray Observatory's ability to provide high resolution X-ray images and spectra have established it as one of the most versatile and powerful tools for astrophysical research in the 21st century. Chandra…