Program: GN-2012B-Q-53

Title:Resolving Host Galaxies of z~2 Quasars
PI:Shelley Wright
Co-I(s): Tuan Do, Andrey Vayner

Abstract

Understanding the physical mechanisms and connection between supermassive black hole growth and galaxy formation and evolution remains elusive. In particular, observational properties of host galaxies of distant luminous quasars has remained challenging due to the high contast needed to separate the bright QSO from the faint, resolved galaxy. Integral field spectrographs and laser guide star adaptive optics (LGS-AO) now offers a method for detecting QSO host galaxies, and provides a powerful technique for characterizing their kinematics and dynamics. We are proposing a pilot program using NIFS and LGS-AO to target z~2 QSOs to search and study the host galaxy's properties of star formation, morphologies, and dynamics.

Publications using this program's data