The Starburst-AGN Connection

It is now well known that black holes and galaxies co-evolve with each. A key catalyst in this co-evolution are major mergers. Here, two galaxies merge and eventually coalesce into a single galaxy, a process that takes hundreds of millions of years. During this time, a burst of star formation occurs while gas is funneled towards the central regions of the galaxy, fueling the accreting black hole (active galactic nucleus, AGN). The AGN subsequently produces winds that can reach speeds over 1,000 km/s and reach the outer regions of its galaxy. These winds are powerful enough to quench star formation, and thus alter the evolutionary course of its host galaxy.