I begin by summarizing the evidence that there is a close relationship between the evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes. They evidently share a common fuel source, and feedback from the black hole may be needed to suppress over-cooling in massive galaxies. I then review what we know about the co-evolution of galaxies and black holes in the modern universe (z < 1). We now have a good documentation of which black holes are growing (the lower mass ones), where they are growing (in the less massive early-type galaxies), and how this growth is related in a statistical sense to star formation in the central region of the galaxy. The opportunity in the next decade will be to use the new observatories to undertake ambitious programs of 3-D imaging spectroscopy of the stars and gas in order to understand the actual astrophysical processes that produce the demographics we observe. At high redshift (z > 2), the most massive black holes and the progenitors of the most massive galaxies are forming. Here, we currently have a tantalizing but fragmented view of their co-evolution. In the next decade, the huge increase in sensitivity and discovery power of our observatories will enable us to analyze the large, complete samples we need to achieve robust and clear results.

We discuss evidence that quasars, and more generally radio jets, may have played an active role in the formation stage of galaxies by inducing star formation, i.e., through positive feedback. This mechanism first proposed in the 1970s has been considered as anecdotal until now, contrary to the opposite effect that is generally put forward, i.e., the quenching of star formation in massive galaxies to explain the galaxy bimodality, downsizing, and the universal black hole mass over bulge stellar mass ratio. This suggestion is based on the recent discovery of an ultra-luminous infrared galaxy, i.e., an extreme starburst, that appears to be triggered by a radio jet from the QSO HE 0450-2958 at z = 0.2863, together with the finding in several systems of a positional offset between molecular gas and quasars, which may be explained by the positive feedback effect of radio jets on their local environment.

Massive black holes (MBHs) are nowadays believed to reside in most local galaxies. Studies have also established a number of relations between the MBH mass and properties of the host galaxy such as bulge mass and velocity dispersion. These results suggest that central MBHs, while much less massive than their hosts (~ 0.1%), are linked to the evolution of galactic structure. When did it all start? In hierarchical cosmologies, a single big galaxy today can be traced back to the stage when it was split up in hundreds of smaller components. Did MBH seeds form with the same efficiency in small proto-galaxies, or did their formation have to await the buildup of substantial galaxies with deeper potential wells? I briefly review here some of the physical processes that are conducive to the evolution of the massive black hole population. I will discuss black hole formation processes for “seed” black holes that are likely to take place at early cosmic epochs, and possible observational tests of these scenarios.

We study the evolution of the MBH/Mhost relation up to z = 3 for a sample of 96 quasars with known host galaxy luminosities. Black hole masses are estimated assuming virial equilibrium in the broad-line regions, while the host galaxy masses are inferred from their luminosities. With this data, we are able to pin down the evolution of the MBH/Mhost relation over 85% of the age of the universe. While the MBH/Lhost relation remains nearly unchanged, taking into account the aging of the stellar population, we find that the MBH/Mhost ratio (Γ) increases by a factor ~ 7 from z = 0 to z = 3. We show that the evolution of Γ is independent of radio loudness and quasar luminosity. We propose that the most massive black holes, in their quasar phase at high-redshift, become extremely rare objects in host galaxies of similar mass in the local universe.

We present the initial results of the AKARI mission program QSONG (Quasar Spectroscopic Observation with NIR Grism). QSONG utilizes the unique AKARI capability of performing spectroscopic observations at 2.5–5 μm, with the aim of understanding the mass evolution of ~200 quasars at 3.4 < z < 6.5 from their rest-frame optical spectra. The program also studies the rest-frame NIR spectra of 99 well-studied quasars at low redshift (z < 0.5) and 10 red quasars. With the high-redshift QSONG observations, we detect and resolve redshifted optical lines such as Hα for the first time at this redshift, allowing us to measure the supermassive black hole (SMBH) masses at high redshift using the well-calibrated optical mass estimators and provide an independent assessment of UV line-based mass measurements whose reliability has been controversial. Until the launch of JWST, AKARI will be the only facility in the world capable of studying the rest-frame optical spectra of high-redshift objects out to z ~ 6. Our initial QSONG result indicates a lack of very massive SMBHs at z > 5.5, suggesting that we are possibly witnessing the cosmic growth history of the most massive SMBHs (~ 1010M⊙) in the early universe. Ultimately, an extensive study of the rest-frame optical spectra of high-redshift QSOs will help us understand the evolution and the growth of SMBHs in the early universe.

Ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (LIR > 1012L⊙) are locally rare, but appear to dominate the co-moving energy density at higher redshifts (z > 2). Many of these are optically faint, dust-obscured galaxies that have been identified by the detection of their thermal dust emission in the sub-mm. Multi-wavelength spectroscopic follow-up observations of these sub-mm galaxies (SMGs) have shown that they are massive (Mstellar ~ 1011M⊙) objects undergoing intense star-formation (SFRs ~ 102–103M⊙ yr−1) with a mean redshift of z ~ 2, coinciding with the epoch of peak quasar activity. Furthermore, the presence of AGNs in ~ 28–50% of SMGs has been unveiled in the X-ray and near-IR. When both AGN and star-formation activity are present, long-slit spectroscopic techniques face difficulties in disentangling their independent contributions from integrated spectra. We have observed Hα emission from a sample of three SMGs in the redshift range z ~ 1.4–2.4 with the integral field spectrograph OSIRIS on Keck, in conjunction with Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics. The spatially resolved, two-dimensional spectroscopic insight that these observations provide is the only viable probe of the spatial distribution and line-of-sight motion of ionized gas within these galaxies. We detect multiple galactic-scale sub-components, distinguishing the compact, broad Hα emission arising from an AGN from the more extended narrow-line emission of star-forming regions spreading over ~ 8–17 kpc. We explore the dynamics of gas in the inner galaxy halo to improve our understanding of the internal dynamics of this enigmatic galaxy population. We find no evidence of ordered orbital motion such as would be found in a gaseous disk, but rather large velocity offsets of a few hundred kilometers per second between distinct galactic-scale sub-components. Considering the disturbed morphology of SMGs, these sub-components are likely remnants of originally independent gas-rich galaxies that are in the process of merging, hence triggering the ultraluminous SMG phase.

We show that ALMA is the first telescope that can probe the dust-obscured central region of quasars at z > 5 with a maximum resolution of ~ 30 pc employing the 18 km baseline.

We explore the possibility of detecting the first quasars with ALMA (Schleicher, Spaans, & Klessen 2009). For this purpose, we adopt the Seyfert 2 galaxy NGC 1068 as a reference system and calculate the expected fluxes if this galaxy were placed at high redshift. This choice is motivated by the detailed observations available for this system and the absence of any indication for an evolution in metallicity in high-redshift quasars. It is a conservative choice due to the moderate column densities in NGC 1068, leading to moderate fluxes.

The powerful compact continuum emission from quasars is understood only in outline. New surveys allow investigation of the quasar continuum over a wide range of parameters (z, L, L/LEdd) and wavelengths (radio to X-ray). I review the spectral energy distributions of quasars and how new scaling relations with physical parameters promise to take us to a deeper understanding of the quasar continuum.

Massive spectroscopic surveys like the SDSS have revolutionized the way we study AGN and their relations to the galaxies they live in. A first step in any such study is to define samples of different types of AGN on the basis of emission-line ratios. This deceivingly simple step involves decisions on which classification scheme to use and data quality censorship. Galaxies with weak emission lines are often left aside or dealt with separetely because one cannot fully classify them onto the standard star-forming, Seyfert, or LINER categories. This contribution summarizes alternative classification schemes which include this very numerous population. We then study how star-formation histories and physical properties of the hosts vary from class to class, and present compelling evidence that the emission lines in the majority of LINER-like systems in the SDSS are not powered by black-hole accretion. The data are fully consistent with them being galaxies whose old stars provide all the ionizing power needed to explain their line ratios and luminosities. Such retired galaxies deserve a place in the emission-line taxonomy.

Chemical properties of AGNs and their redshift evolution are of interest to understand the star-formation history of AGN host galaxies and the co-evolution between galaxies and supermassive black holes (SMBHs). One important observational clue on this issue is a tight correlation between the AGN luminosity and the metallicity of the broad-line region. Surprisingly this relation shows no redshift evolution, even up to z ~ 6. This correlation is attributable mainly to the positive correlation between metallicity and SMBH mass, rather than to the relation between metallicity and Eddington ratio. A significant positive correlation between the metallicity and the AGN luminosity is also seen in narrow-line regions, not only in broad-line regions. Possible implications of these results on the galaxy–SMBH co-evolution are briefly mentioned.

We present a large sample of X-ray selected type 2 QSOs from the XMM–COSMOS survey. Type 2 QSOs are luminous AGN whose central engines are obscured by large amounts of gas and dust. The selection criteria we have used are based on high X-ray luminosity (LX > 1044 erg s−1) and heavy obscuration (NH > 1022 cm−2). We derived stellar masses and star-formation rate estimates for the host galaxies from the best fit of the observed photometry. Type 2 QSOs are generally hosted in massive galaxies with on-going star formation.

With the development of modern technologies such as integral field units, it is possible to obtain data cubes in which one produces images with spectral resolution. Extracting information from them can be quite complex, and hence the development of new methods of data analysis is desirable. We briefly describe a method of analysis of data cubes (data from single field observations, containing two spatial and one spectral dimension) that uses principal component analysis to express the data in the form of reduced dimensionality, facilitating efficient information extraction from very large data sets. We applied the method, for illustrative purposes, to the central region of the LINER galaxy NGC 4736, and demonstrate that it has a type 1 active nucleus, which was not known before. Furthermore, we show that it is displaced from the center of its stellar bulge.

We are conducting long-term monitoring of several AGN with the aim of understanding the interplay between the emitting regions around the central black hole as well as the physics of the accreting flow. Here we present results for two of our sources, NGC 3783 and MR 2251–178, with strong evidence for disk-driven variability and the existence of cold accretion disks, where near-IR emission can be clearly detected from a region close to the black hole.

Large optical surveys provide an unprecedsCeented census of galaxies in the local Universe, forming an invaluable framework into which more detailed studies of objects can be placed. But how useful are optical surveys for understanding the co-evolution of black holes and galaxies, given their limited wavelength coverage, selection criteria, and depth? Here we present work-in-progress comparing optical and mid-IR diagnostics of three “unusual” low-z populations (luminous Seyferts, dusty Balmer-strong AGN, ULIRGs) with a set of ordinary star-forming galaxies from the SDSS. We address the questions “how well do the mid-IR and optical diagnostics of star formation and AGN strength agree?” and “to what extent do optical surveys allow us to include extreme, dusty, morphologically disturbed galaxies in our ‘complete’ census of BH-galaxy co-evolution?

Quasars are the choicest objects to define a quasi-inertial reference frame. At the same time, they are active galactic nuclei powered by a massive black hole. As the astrometric precision of ground-based optical observations approaches the limit set by the forthcoming GAIA mission, astrometric stability can be investigated. Though the optical emission from the core region usually exceeds the other components by a factor of a hundred, the variability of those components must surely imply some measure of variability of the astrometric baricenter. Whether this is confirmed or not, it puts important constraints on the relationship of the quasar's central engine to the surrounding distribution of matter. To investigate the correlation between long-term optical variability and what is dubbed as the “random walk” of the astrometric center, a program is being pursued at the WFI/ESO 2.2m. The sample was selected from quasars known to undergo large-amplitude and long-term optical variations (Smith et al. 1993; Teerikorpi 2000). The observations are typically made every two months. The treatment is differential, comparing the quasar position and brightness against a sample of selected stars for which the average relative distances and magnitudes remain constant. The provisional results for four objects bring strong support to the hypothesis of a relationship between astrometric and photometric variability. A full account is provided by Andrei et al. (2009).

We serendipitiously found that the iron-rich low-ionization broad absorption-line (FeLoBAL) quasar SDSS J 163255.46+420407.7 showed a dramatic change in its spectrum over 3.4 years in the rest frame of the quasar. A simple photoionization model suggests the increase in the nuclear radiation caused these changes. Given the recombination coefficient of Fe+, the relaxation time of the absorbing gas suggests ne > 104 cm−3.

We describe a comprehensive multi-wavelength and multi-faceted program to understand a class of quasars we call post-starburst quasars, which may represent an evolutionary phase in mutual galaxy/black hole evolution.

Type 2 QSOs (QSO2s) are intrinsically luminous QSOs embedded in dusty environments. In this work, we study the radio, optical, and soft X-ray properties of 887 optically selected [O III]-based QSO2s (Reyes et al. 2008) at z<0.83 to investigate the connection between QSO2s and their environments. We use SDSS data to measure the luminosity-limited galaxy counts in a volume centered on each QSO2 and defined by Δ z<0.1 (based on photometric redshifts) and within a projected distance of 1.5 Mpc of the QSO2 (δ1.5Mpc). We used ROSAT All Sky Survey (RASS) data to estimate the X-ray excess. Hsu & Chen (2010), after correcting for Galactic absorption, obtain a lower limit for the intrinsic neutral hydrogen column density (NH) toward each of the QSO2s. About 50% of these sources have NH > 1022 cm−2. We take this value as a threshold to subdivide QSO2s into high- and low-NH groups, and compare their environments. The distributions δ1.5Mpc of the two populations show that, in regions of higher galaxy density, QSO2s are dominated by the high-NH population (Figure 1), suggesting a closer connection between more obscured QSO2s and surrounding galaxies.

The orientation of nineteen 0.8< z < 2.3 radio-loud quasars was measured using two independent methods. First, Hα was observed in the near IR using ISAAC at the VLT. The complex Hα emission lines were fitted with a range of models, some including emission from a flattened, extended accretion disk following Chen & Halpern (1989). The models were compared using the Bayesian evidence, and the disk axis angles recovered. Second, models were fitted to the ~10 MHz to 20 GHz radio spectral energy distributions (SEDs) to recover the jet angles, assuming that the emission is comprised of a broken power law arising from the radio lobes plus a Doppler-boosted core.

We present a strong correlation between 12μm mid-IR and intrinsic X-ray (2–10 keV) luminosities of local Seyferts. This work is based on new diffraction-limited mid-IR observations with the 8-m Very Large Telescope (VLT), resulting in the least-contaminated core fluxes of 42 Seyferts to date.