Program: GS-2009A-Q-54

Despite speculation that both starburst and AGN activity may be intimately linked via the common triggering mechanism of galaxy mergers and interactions, we know surprisingly little about the true nature of the link. We propose to use deep imaging observations with Gemini/GMOS to investigate the triggering mechanism(s) in a complete sample of radio-loud AGN for which, uniquely, we have quantified the level of both the AGN and star formation activity. Using quantitative measures of host galaxy morphology and environment we will investigate: (a) the proportion of powerful radio galaxies that are triggered in major galaxy mergers, (b) the link between the degree of star formation/AGN activity and the interaction status and environments of the host galaxies. These observations are crucial for understanding the symbiosis between AGN and their host galaxies as part of the overall galaxy evolutionary process.