Abstract

This workshop focuses on the coevolution of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies, a field in which recent advances have resulted from the convergence of multi-wavelength observations, theoretical modeling, and numerical simulations. Topics to be covered will include the observation of AGNs from radio to X-ray wavelengths, the characterization of massive galaxies at different epochs, the role of interactions and mergers in triggering nuclear activity, and the mechanisms of radiative and mechanical feedback. Cosmological and high-resolution simulations, incorporating black hole growth prescriptions and feedback models, will also play a central role. The workshop aims to bring together the French research community—doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and established researchers—and to strengthen interdisciplinary collaborations. International contributions will enrich the discussions. The limited number of participants will foster in-depth discussions, the emergence of new synergies, and the development of a national network centered on these themes.

Scientific justification

The coevolution of galaxies and their supermassive black holes is a key issue in understanding the formation and evolution of structures in the Universe. The observed correlations between black hole mass, stellar velocity dispersion, bulge luminosity, and baryonic content suggest coupled growth mechanisms. AGNs, through their radiative and mechanical feedback, play a key role in regulating star formation, heating the circumgalactic medium, and shaping halos.

Recent advances are based on three complementary pillars:

• Multi-wavelength observations: These allow us to characterize obscured AGNs, ionized or molecular winds, and radio jets, and to study their effects on interstellar gas.

• Characterization of host galaxies—including their morphology, gas content, star-formation history, and galactic environment—is now possible with unprecedented precision thanks to large-scale spectroscopic surveys and high-resolution imaging.

• Numerical simulations: Cosmological simulations and high-resolution zoom simulations incorporate black hole growth and feedback mechanisms, and allow for the exploration of nuclear activity cycles, environmental effects, and fusion processes.

The workshop addresses the need to bring these approaches together to identify current bottlenecks: understanding the mechanisms that trigger nuclear activity, the actual effectiveness of feedback, the role of the environment, and the consistency between models and observations. By bringing together observers, theorists, and numerical simulators, it will help build a strong and visible national community capable of meeting the challenges posed by future missions (JWST, Euclid, Athena, SKA).

Preliminary program

PROPOSED SPEAKERS:

Andrea Cattaneo (Obs. de Paris/LUX)
Françoise Combes (Obs. de Paris et Collège de France)
Emanuele Daddi (CEA)
Yohan Dubois (IAP)
David Elbaz (CEA)
Célin Gouin (IAP)
Anne-Laure Melchior (Obs. de Paris/LUX)
Cyril Tasse (Obs. de Paris/LUX)
Marta Volonteri (IAP)
Etienne Bonnassieux (Bordeaux)
Véronique Buat (Marseille)
Nicolas Clerc (Toulouse)
Frédéric Marin (Strasbourg)
Nicole Nesvadba (Nice)
Natalie Webb (Toulouse)
James Aird (Edinburgh)
Johannes Buchner (MPE Munich)
Philip Best (Edinburgh)
Johan Comparat (MPE Munich)
Weiguang Cui (Madrid)
Pratik Dabhade (Warsaw)
Antonis Georgakakis (Athens)
Paul Giles (Sussex)
Roberto Gilli (INAF Bologna)
Zsofi Igo (MPE and ESA)
Andrea Merloni (MPE Munich)
George Mountrichas (IFCA)
Silvia Pellegrini (Università di Bologna)
Amy Rankine (Edinburgh)
Mara Salvato (MPE Munich)
Francesco Shankar (Portsmouth)
Vivienne Wild (Saint Andrews)