Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are extremely energetic objects that reside in the centres of galaxies. Often they are so luminous that they outshine their entire hosting galaxy. They can emit light over the entire electromagnetic spectrum enabling us to witness dramatic signatures of a wide variety of activities, ranging from radio jets that can be hundreds of times larger than galaxies to the observed heated accretion ring close to the black hole of our own galaxy. In this lecture series, AGN and their impact will be discussed in considerable detail.
Topics that will be addressed include:
observational results and the resulting taxonomy
the physics of the various AGN building blocks
their origin and time evolution
their role in the formation of galaxies
Outcome:
Upon completion of this course, you will not only have a good understanding of the role AGN are playing in modern astrophysics but also have obtained a good feeling for the open questions in this field. The aim is to provide a solid background to be able to carry out research at the master or PhD level.
Upon completion of this course, you will
be able to interpret observations at virtually the whole electromagnetic spectrum of AGN
have a good apprehension of how the basic physical properties of AGN building blocks are determined
be familiar with the various scenarios for the formation of the first AGN
understand how AGN evolve and ideas on what might be driving this evolution
be acquainted with ideas on how AGN impact the formation of galaxies and methods that numerical simulations have employed to take this into account
