Title: AGN Feedback via Outflows in the Early Universe, Dusty Quasars and Dwarf Galaxies

Speaker: Professor Zhewei Liu  (University of Arizona)

Time: 9:30am, January 6, 2025

Location: 3-302, PMO Xianlin Campus

Abstract: AGN feedback through powerful outflows is deemed a critical component in modern galaxy evolution models, which may regulate supermassive black hole accretion, quench star formation, and shape the circumgalactic and intergalactic medium. However, the effectiveness of such feedback, particularly in the early universe, dusty quasars and dwarf galaxies, remains inconclusive. In this talk, I will describe our on-going effort to address these open issues. To begin with, I will present our recent discoveries of a fast, galaxy-scale outflow in one of the earliest quasars at z~7.5 and prevalent rapid outflows in a statistical sample of z>5 quasars unveiled by JWST spectroscopy. These outflows are in general energetic enough to affect the evolution of their host galaxies, with a significant portion of them much more influential than those found in similar quasars at lower redshifts. Next, I will discuss how JWST IFU data enhance our understanding of outflows in dusty quasars at lower redshifts, which allows for improved measurements of their kinematics, energetics and thus overall impact. Finally, I will highlight our investigation of AGN feedback in nearby dwarf galaxies through observations of rapid outflows and molecular gas content, which suggest that AGN feedback could still be substantial in these low-mass systems. These results can also shed light on how AGN feedback may shape the evolution of normal high-z galaxies.