Poster abstract details
Imaging low AGN and their Hosts at High Angular Resolution
Abstract
We will present a volume-limited sample of nearby galaxies hosting low-luminosity quasi-stellar objects (LLQSOs). The sample is based on the Hamburg/ESO QSO survey and our only selection criterion for the QSOs was their small cosmological distance to ensure the presence of the stellar CO(2-0) band head in the near-infrared (NIR) K -band. With this criterion we end up with a sample of 99 LLQSOs, with absolute visible magnitudes just below the classical Seyfert / QSO demarcation. Specifically, an optical spectroscopic study of the sample has been carried out in order to characterize the excitation conditions of the sample members and to distinguish between possible LINER and Seyfert activity. The aim of the present project is the global characterization of the LLQSOs and comparison with other populations of active and quiescent galaxies.This sample of nearby LLQSOs will help understanding the various correlations between the central supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their host galaxies in an evolutionary context.
One of the most suitable instruments for these studies is LINC-NIRVANA. LINC-NIRVANA is the interferometric near-infrared imaging camera for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). Operating at JHK bands, LINC-NIRVANA will provide an unique and unprecedented combination of high angular resolution (~ 9 milliarcseconds at 1.25 µm), wide field of view (~100 arcsecond at 1.25 µm), and large collecting area (~100 m2). It will us allow to resolve the nuclear regions on the 10pc scale and search for signatures of feedback between the SMBH and its host.
One of the most suitable instruments for these studies is LINC-NIRVANA. LINC-NIRVANA is the interferometric near-infrared imaging camera for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). Operating at JHK bands, LINC-NIRVANA will provide an unique and unprecedented combination of high angular resolution (~ 9 milliarcseconds at 1.25 µm), wide field of view (~100 arcsecond at 1.25 µm), and large collecting area (~100 m2). It will us allow to resolve the nuclear regions on the 10pc scale and search for signatures of feedback between the SMBH and its host.