Abstract

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) exist at the centres of most, if not all, massive galaxies, with the two growing together over the age of the Universe. The growth of a SMBH can result in the release of vast amounts of energy, in the form of radiation, winds and jets, that can interact with the gas within the host galaxy. This process, known as feedback, is the method through which a SMBH can “communicate” with its host galaxy and shape the properties of both the SMBH and its host. In this talk, Dr Bourne will give an overview of SMB Hs, including their discovery, general properties and observational signatures. Following this Dr Bourne will discuss how feedback from rapidly growing SMB Hs is expected to impact on the host galaxy and how we are making use of state of the art computer simulations to help us better understand the language of SMB Hs.