Hidden Growth of Supermassive Black Holes in Galaxy Mergers

摘要

Black holes are found at the centers of massive galaxies. Although no light escapes from them, their presence can be revealed by the glow of surrounding gases compressed and heated by the driving force of the black hole's gravitation. This quasar emission ranges from low-energy radio waves to the highest-energy gamma-ray region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Quasar formation can be driven by galaxy mergers, which change the distribution of gas around the black hole. This process can also create stars that supernova and create interstellar dust thatrnobscures our view of galactic centers in the visible to x-ray regions.