Prof. Mousumi Das

Galaxy mergers play a crucial role in the growth of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in the centers of galaxies. As the galaxies merge if the SMBHs are accreting mass they not only grow but also give out large amounts of energy over a range of wavelengths Such accreting SMBHs and are known as active galactic nuclei (AGN). At distances beyond a few Mpc, AGN emission is one of the only ways of tracing SMBHs, hence their importance in surveys for tracing SMBH growth and energetics. AGN are also associated with outflows of hot gas and sometimes radio jets that are known to affect the galaxy environments. These outflows can push out infalling gas, trigger star formation as well as enrich the circumgalactic medium. The combined effect is known as AGN feedback. During mergers dual, triple or multiple AGN can form and will have a strong effect on the evolution of the merger remnant and galaxy environment. In this talk I will present our studies on detecting dual AGN in galaxies, the surprising detection of a triple AGN system and why such systems are important for understanding galaxy evolution.