4MOVE-U: Forward-Modeling the Variable Energetic Universe
4MOVE-U places new independent constraints on one of the most influential correlations of extragalactic astrophysics: the scaling between the stellar-masses of galaxies and the masses of the black holes at their centres. The novelty of 4MOVE-U hinges upon one of the fundamental properties of the accretion flows onto supermassive black holes: the time-variations of the emitted radiation. We study in depth the statistical properties of the X-ray flux variability of large samples of active supermassive black holes at the centres of distant galaxies (Active Galactic Nuclei) using observations from state-of-the-art X-ray telescopes. These data are interpreted with new empirical models of supermassive black holes and galaxies in the Universe to infer the underlying black-hole mass vs galaxy mass relation of the population.
Research Highlights
Astronomers Challenge 50-Year-Old Quasar ‘Universal’ Law
New results from eROSITA-DE suggest that the connection between quasar discs and their X-ray coronas evolves with the age of the Universe…
Space and Time Algorithm for Transients in
X-rays (STATiX)
The X-ray universe is full of brief and faint outbursts — sudden changes in brightness caused by phenomena such as black hole accretion, neutron star activity, or stellar flares…
Forward modelling the energetic Universe
For the interpretation of the ensemble X-ray variability properties of AGN populations, a new model is developed that combines information from AGN demographics (i.e. the incidence of AGN in galaxies)…
Black Hole vs Stellar Mass scaling relation
It is well established that most galaxies host at their nuclear regions supermassive black holes that grow over time by devouring matter from their immediate environment…
AGN flux variability
One of the defining properties of Active Galactic Nuclei is that the radiation they emit, as matter falls into the central black hole, is highly variable with time, i.e. it fluctuates around a mean…
