Modeling Mechanical and Radiative AGN feedback in Galaxies

Ena Choi, Princeton

Abstract:
Accreting black holes are thought to inject energy into surrounding gas reservoirs via jets, outflows and radiation, inhibiting the build-up of massive galaxies and suppressing star formation. Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) feedback can potentially starve the black hole, giving rise to a relation between the black hole mass and the stellar mass of galaxies. Many previous AGN feedback models, however, do not include all known and observed feedback processes. Since the importance of AGN-driven mass and momentum outflows in limiting the infall onto the black hole has been emphasized, we develop a numerical algorithm of AGN mechanical feedback via broad absorption line winds in a three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics code. I will describe the new mechanical and radiative AGN feedback model which includes the detailed treatment of winds, radiative heating, radiation pressure, and the Eddington force. I will discuss the feedback model properties in simulations of a single disk galaxy, major and minor mergers of galaxies, and the formation of elliptical galaxies in a cosmological context.