Galaxies, AGN, and the IGM During the Peak Epoch of Galaxy Formation

California Institute Of Technology, Pasadena CA

Investigators

Abstract

AST-0606912 Steidel This project includes several related observational programs to study the inter-connection between star-forming galaxies, active galactic nuclei, and gas in the diffuse intergalactic medium, during perhaps the peak era for forming massive galaxies and their central black holes, redshifts 1.5 to 3.5 (corresponding to look-back times of from 70-90% of the age of the Universe). Particular attention will be paid to the locations, lifetimes, and duty-cycles of accreting super-massive black holes, and to radiative and hydrodynamical feedback into galaxies and the intergalactic medium. The goal is to understand how feedback works on both small and large scales, and to infer how it shaped the subsequent evolution of structure to make the Universe we see today. This work relies on methods developed and tested by these researchers during previous NSF-supported studies, and the focus is on projects for which the tools and resources available to this team are largely unique. Dense spectroscopic sampling of well-controlled survey volumes will enable the first-ever tomographic observations of the high redshift Universe. These data will provide a three dimensional map of the baryons and their physical state, distributed throughout cosmological volumes, and allow for fundamentally new constraints on the physics of galaxy formation. The results will provide fundamental statistical information useful to researchers in many sub-fields throughout extragalactic astronomy and cosmology. Much of this work constitutes early testing of science cases that drive the design of next-generation ground-based optical/infra-red telescopes. Results and primary data will be made available as soon as possible to the astronomical community.