Related papers: How black hole activity may influence exoplanetary…
Understanding the processes that drive galaxy formation and shape the observed properties of galaxies is one of the most interesting and challenging frontier problems of modern astrophysics. We now know that the evolution of galaxies is…
Most supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are accreting at very low levels and are difficult to distinguish from the galaxy centers where they reside. Our own Galaxy's SMBH provides a uniquely instructive exception, and we present a close-up…
Supermassive black holes are nowadays believed to reside in most local galaxies. Accretion of gas and black hole mergers play a fundamental role in determining the two parameters defining a black hole: mass and spin. I briefly review here…
The nucleus of almost all massive galaxies contains a supermassive black hole (BH). The feedback from the accretion of these BHs is often considered to have crucial roles in establishing the quiescence of massive galaxies, although some…
Binary black hole (BBH) systems residing in the centers of galaxies evolve within complex astrophysical environments. These environments, comprising dark matter (DM) halos and baryonic accretion disks, can significantly alter the orbital…
Powerful winds driven by supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are likely the main mechanism through which SMBHs regulate their own growth and influence the host galaxy evolution. However, their origin and their capability to impact the…
It is now well-established that a dark, compact object (DCO), very likely a massive black hole (MBH) of around four million solar masses is lurking at the centre of the Milky Way. While a consensus is emerging about the origin and growth of…
Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) have been found to be ubiquitous in the nuclei of early-type galaxies and of bulges of spirals. There are evidences of a tight correlation between the SMBH masses, the velocity dispersions of stars in the…
The cores of most galaxies are thought to harbour supermassive black holes, which power galactic nuclei by converting the gravitational energy of accreting matter into radiation (ref 1). Sagittarius A*, the compact source of radio, infrared…
Virtually all massive galaxies, including our own, host central black holes ranging in mass from millions to billions of solar masses. The growth of these black holes releases vast amounts of energy that powers quasars and other weaker…
Planetary atmospheres are subject to mass loss through a variety of mechanisms including irradiation by XUV photons from their host star. Here we explore the consequences of XUV irradiation by supermassive black holes as they grow by the…
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…
Understanding the connection between galaxy properties and their central massive black holes (MBHs) is key to unveiling their co-evolution. We use the ${\tt L{-}Galaxies{-} \it BH}$ semi-analytical model and the ${\tt Millennium}$ suite of…
Exoplanets, with their large volumes and low temperatures, are ideal celestial detectors for probing dark matter (DM) interactions. DM particles can lose energy through scattering with the planetary interior and become gravitationally…
The hierarchical galaxy formation picture suggests that super massive black holes (MBHs) observed in galactic nuclei today have grown from coalescence of massive black hole binaries (MBHB) after galaxy merging. Once the components of a MBHB…
The influence of dark matter (DM) on the growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in galaxies is studied. It is shown that gravitational scattering of DM particles on bulge stars leads to diffusion of DM in phase space {m, m_z, I} ('m'…
We study supermassive black holes (BHs) in merging galaxies, using a suite of hydrodynamical simulations with very high spatial (~10 pc) and temporal (~1 Myr) resolution, where we vary the initial mass ratio, the orbital configuration, and…
The hydrodynamic formation of massive black holes (BHs) in globular clusters is considered. In particular, we examine the possibility of the BH formation induced by the radiation drag that is exerted on the interstellar matter by stellar…
The Center of our Galaxy is a peculiar region where a number of crucial astrophysical phenomena take place, from star formation to SN explosions and accretion onto a massive black hole. The quest for a massive black hole in the Galactic…
The center of the Galaxy is a prominent source in X-rays and gamma-rays. The study of its high-energy (HE) emission is crucial in understanding the physical phenomena taking place in this dense and extreme environment, where the closest…