Kristina Nyland
Naval Research Lab
New Advancements in our Understanding of AGN Feedback from the VLA and Beyond
As the most energetic, long-lived objects in the Universe, active galactic nuclei (AGN) are capable of dramatically altering their surroundings through the process of AGN feedback. AGN feedback is believed to influence galaxy evolution through the regulation of star formation rates and efficiencies. The prevailing belief is that AGN feedback shapes galaxies through powerful quasar winds at high redshift and the regulation of cooling flows by classical radio galaxies at low redshift, and is thus limited in scope to the most luminous quasars and radio galaxies. However, recent evidence suggests that AGN feedback may operate under a much broader range of conditions. In particular, a key missing element in our understanding of radio jet-driven feedback and its importance to galaxy evolution is how it operates on (sub-)kpc scales in gas-rich galaxies. In this talk, I describe recent advancements in our evolving understanding of the cosmic importance of radio jets as well as future prospects with instruments such as the next-generation Very Large Array.