We invite everyone to join us for the next AGN SIG Vision Series Talk on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at 1 pm ET/10 am PT. Our first Vision Series talk for the year will feature Dr. Santiago Garcia-Burillo (Observatorio Astronómico Nacional-OAN) presenting The ALMA View of the Gas Cycle in Nearby AGN.

The goal of our Vision Series is to highlight forward-looking, community-driven perspectives on AGN science. This quarterly series will consist of a 30-minute “vision” talk focused on outstanding questions surrounding supermassive black holes, their origin, growth, and connection to galaxy evolution, followed by ample time for community discussion.

The ALMA View of the Gas Cycle in Nearby AGN

Speaker

Dr. Santiago Garcia-Burillo (Observatorio Astronómico Nacional)

Abstract

High-resolution images of the distribution and kinematics of molecular gas in the circumnuclear disks of nearby active galactic nuclei (AGN) are essential for understanding the mechanisms that control the feeding and feedback cycles of gas in active galaxies. Fortunately, an increasing number of targets are now within reach of these observations thanks to facilities like ALMA becoming fully operational.  AGN appears to be a phase in a galaxy's lifecycle. Our understanding of the obscuring medium that affects the observed properties of AGNs has also evolved, and we now have a physical grasp of the connection between fuelling and feedback from AGN central engines. Detailed studies have emphasised the pivotal role of radio jets and AGN winds in launching molecular outflows in many AGN. Using high-resolution ALMA images from an expanding sample of nearby AGN, we have revealed the 'relic' imprint left by AGN feedback on the radial distribution of molecular gas. In this talk, we will explore potential methods to validate the evolutionary scenario, such as expanding the sample of AGN to be observed by ALMA in the future and using numerical simulations of the feeding and feedback cycle in galaxy disks.

Seminar Connection

Zoom Registration, you will receive connection details by email after registration: Register for the Seminar