Steward Observatory/NSF’s NOIRLab Joint Colloquium Series: Harnessing the power of large spectroscopic surveys to decipher black holes & galaxies (with a sprinkle of dark energy)

Abstract: Thanks to its wide area and highly-multiplexed capability, the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey has already broken records by obtaining spectra of more than 30 million of galaxies and quasars. The first-year data alone have enabled us to make the highest precision measurements of the expansion history of the universe to date -- with a suggestive hint of evolving dark energy. Moreover, the unprecedented number of optical spectra hold valuable clues about the cosmic history of galaxies and supermassive black holes. Large spectroscopic datasets such as SDSS and DESI give us opportunities for both statistical population studies and for discovery of rare objects. I will present selected results expanding our knowledge of supermassive black holes across the full mass and luminosity scales, from low-mass black holes in dwarf galaxies to the most luminous quasars, and discuss how they may play a role in galaxy evolution. I will conclude with future directions such as the potential of machine learning approaches to reveal evolutionary trends or find outliers.
 

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gH3yo6DwJLBy9NjR0MCwrxucII4d1KjjgI6SKR_SlxI/edit?usp=sharing