Speaker
Description
Most massive galaxies host a supermassive black hole (SMBH) in their center. However, it remains a subject of debate how these SMBHs reached their current sizes. The standard model of growth for the most massive SMBHs is that they reached their current sizes through mergers of massive, gas-rich galaxies. However, studies which seek to test this theory have yielded mixed results. Examining the question of merger-driven black hole growth has historically been limited by extreme sampling biases. Studies with reasonable sample sizes are limited to the nearby universe, and studies in the distant universe are limited to a small number of large, bright galaxies. With the release of the first data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), we can now resolve a population of dimmer galaxies at much greater distances, allowing this theory to be tested with a more complete population. We use citizen science volunteers to visually describe galaxy morphology and interactions, and SED fitting to measure galaxy properties, including black hole growth, in order to characterize the relationship between merging galaxies and black hole growth.
