Disentangling Star-formation from AGN
From re-ionizing the Universe to stifling the star-formation of early massive galaxies – these high-z growing SMBHs are often invoked as an important actuator of early galaxy evolution. A critical limitation in our understanding of these early AGN is that almost all direct observations of z>7 sources with JWST are of unobscured or mildly attenuated AGN — the very energy that makes these sources detectable at high-z via emission from the broad-line region overwhelms the star-formation signatures within their host galaxies — thus curtailing our ability to robustly measure the potential impact on host-galaxy properties in-situ.
I use samples of heavily obscured AGN at early times to robustly measure the impact (or lack thereof) of powerfully accreting black holes in nascent galaxy evolution.
Alert! Cycle 3 JWST Observations Incoming!
With JWST, we will use NIRSpec IFU G395M/F290LP to observe the only known z> 7 heavily obscured radio-loud AGN candidate (COSW-106725). This will provide the first robust constraints on the effect of AGN activity on nascent early galaxy evolution without significant contamination from the central engine. We will:
1) Constrain the level of ionized AGN contribution on the clumpy, dense, un-settled ISM of an early massive galaxy via [OIII], Hb, and continuum measurements.
2) Detect and Spatially Map an AGN driven outflow via [OIII] line kinematics.
Erini Lambrides 