Program: GN-2013A-Q-48

A fundamental role is attributed to supermassive black holes (SMBH), and the feedback they generate, in the evolution of galaxies. But theoretical models trying to reproduce the M(SMBH)-sigma relation (between the SMBH mass and stellar velocity dispersion of the galaxy bulge) and other relations, have to make broad assumptions about the physical processes involved, and the prescriptions used are poorly constrained. To provide the much needed guidance on the relevant physical processes, which occur when the SMBH is being fed via mass accretion in Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), we wish to answer the specific questions: (i) does star formation play a decisive role in moderating or assisting accretion? (ii) which mechanisms are important for bringing gas to the environs of the SMBH, and what are the inflow rates? (iii) what is the kinetic power of the outflows, how do they interact with the interstellar medium (ISM), and can they strip the ISM away from around the BH? In order to answer these questions we propose to use NIFS+ALTAIR to observe the inner few hundred parsecs of a complete sample of nearby bright AGN selected from the Swift-BAT AGN catalog. In order to improve the efficiency of the use of NIFS time, we have merged two previously separate projects: one whose focus is the study of the stellar population and the other focusing in the feeding and feedback processes.