Program: GN-2015A-Q-98
Title: | Estimating the Star Formation Histories of Obscured Quasars at Redshift ~ 2 |
PI: | Andreea Petric |
Co-I(s): | Mark Lacy, Krystal Schlechter |
Abstract
A central issue in the study of the formation and evolution of galaxies is the connection between the central supermassive black holes and the surounding bulge stars. A key test of such theories is to find evidence that the central Active Galactic Nucleus (AGN) has an impact on its host galaxy such as large scale outflows coincident with regions with post-starburst stellar populations. Photometric data alone are not sufficient to measure the stellar ages due to contamination from AGN emission lines and continuum. Spectroscopy of z ~ 2 normal quasar hosts is prohibitively difficult due to the bright nucleus. However, by targeting dusty QSO1s and QSO2s it becomes possible to obtain spectra of the host galaxy at the epoch when the black hole mass - bulge relation becomes established.