| Description |
Quasar feedback has become a major ingredient in galaxy formation models, invoked to explain the absence of overly massive galaxies, the hot intracluster medium and the black hole / host galaxy correlations. Using ground-based spectroscopic observations, we have discovered high-velocity ionized gas outflows from luminous obscured quasars, which could be the long-sought ..smoking-gun signature of quasar feedback. We propose deep photometric observations with Herschel to determine the far-infrared spectral energy distribution of these objects. We will use these data to confirm that the observed outflows are driven by the supermassive black hole activity rather than by star formation in the host galaxy. Furthermore, we will quantify the relation between the kinetic energy of the outflow and the radiative power of the quasar. Herschel observations are the only avenue to establish the driving mechanism and energetics of quasar feedback. |
