Supermassive Black Holes, Feedback and Galaxy Evolution
The IAU Commission X1 is a Cross-Division D-J initiative with the primary goal of promoting the development of research on supermassive black holes (SMBHs), active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and star formation feedback, as well as their role in galaxy evolution.
Through this commission, we aim to foster interaction between theorists and observers across the electromagnetic spectrum to investigate the interplay between the growth of SMBHs and galaxies, including the effects of their environment.
We aim to bridge the studies on feedback from the “galaxy evolution" community, which primarily focuses mostly on the role of star formation, and the “AGN" community, which concentrates on feedback from the environments of the nuclear SMBH, in order to advance our understanding of galaxy evolution.
We welcome input from the community to enhance our initiatives and collaborations. Please share your feedback by completing this form
NASA Telescopes Tune Into a Black Hole Prelude, Fugue
NASA has released three new sonifications that explore different stages of black hole evolution. These include WR 124, a massive star potentially collapsing into a black hole; SS 433, a binary system emitting X-rays; and Centaurus A, a galaxy with a supermassive black hole launching a jet across its span.
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NASA's Hubble Pinpoints Roaming Massive Black Hole
Researchers have discovered a rare, wandering supermassive black hole devouring a star in a galaxy 600 million light-years away. Unlike typical tidal disruption events that occur at galactic centers, this event was observed 2,600 light-years from the galaxy's core, indicating the presence of a second, offset black hole.
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Unleashing the Power: Linking the Small and the Large in Multi-phase AGN Outflows
Feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the form of jets and outflows is a key ingredient in galaxy evolution models. The "Unleashing the Power: Linking the Small and the Large in Multi-phase AGN Outflows" special session at EAS 2025 will bring together both observations and simulations investigating all types of AGN outflows.
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Tracing Cosmic Evolution with Galaxy Clusters - V
The fifth edition of the conference on cosmic structure evolution will take place at the Sexten Center for Astrophysics. The event will focus on topics including galaxy evolution from protoclusters to massive clusters, the cosmic history of baryons, gravitational lensing, and cosmology with next-generation cluster surveys.
Learn moreA hidden active galactic nucleus powering bright [O III] nebulae in a protocluster at z = 4.5 revealed by JWST
Solimano M., González-López J., Aravena M. et al., A&A, 693, A70, 2025
Crimson Behemoth: A massive clumpy structure hosting a dusty AGN at z=4.91
Tanaka T. S., Silverman J. D., Nakazato Y. et al., PASJ, 76, 6, 2024