Massive Galaxy Formation: Testing the AGN Feedback Hypothesis

Details Massive Galaxy Formation: Testing the AGN Feedback Hypothesis Massive Galaxy Formation: Testing the AGN Feedback Hypothesis

Apr 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009sptz.prop60145t&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #60145

Physics

Scientific paper

Ad hoc prescriptions of feedback from an active galactic nucleus (AGN) are widely adopted in theoretical models of massive galaxy formation in order to efficiently quench the merger-induced starburst and growth of the supermassive black hole. Remarkably, however, observational evidence that AGN feedback is necessary for quenching star formation is conspicuously lacking. To address this fundamental problem, we propose to measure the stellar masses and burst mass fractions of an extraordinary sample of massive galaxies at zD0.4-0.8 that show evidence for large-scale outflows of cold gas, and whose last recent star formation episode was abruptly truncated. These measurements will establish whether the mechanical energy provided by supernovae and young stars in the last starburst is sufficient for driving the supergalactic wind, and therefore whether AGN feedback played an energetically important role for the formation of massive galaxies at intermediate redshift.

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