Cosmic Origins
Location
Virtual
Dates
26 March 20264:00pm ET / 1:00pm PT
Community
DGCE SIG
Type
Seminar
Big Impact in Small Galaxies: Probing AGN-Driven Feedback in Low-Mass Galaxies
Speaker
Dr. Archana Aravindan, University of Texas, Austin
Abstract
Black holes are most often associated with massive galaxies, yet an increasing number are now being identified in low-mass systems. Detecting active black holes and constraining their impact in small galaxies remains challenging, as their signatures are often weak and can be difficult to disentangle from emission produced by stars and ongoing star formation. In this talk, I will present how multi-wavelength observations combined with integral field spectroscopy can be used to determine the effects of AGN activity on the surrounding gas in low-mass galaxies. A comparison between outflows driven by stellar activities and those powered by accreting black holes indicates that AGN-driven outflows in low-mass galaxies can be both faster and more energetic. I will then highlight new near-infrared JWST observations that reveal highly ionized coronal line emission in low-mass galaxies hosting AGN-driven outflows, tracing energetic gas on scales beyond the nucleus. Together, these results support a growing picture in which black holes in low-mass galaxies can exert a measurable influence on the evolution of their hosts.
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