Understanding the Black Hole-Galaxy Coevolution of Roman’s Extreme Galaxies by Bridging Galaxy and Event-Horizon Scales
| Program ID | 19075 |
|---|---|
| Science Category | Active Galaxies & Supermassive Black Holes |
| Program Type | Analysis |
| Category | Small |
| Principal Investigator | Kung-Yi Su |
| PI Institution | CIERA, Northwestern University |
| Co-Investigators |
|
| Abstract | Recent JWST observations have uncovered a surprising population of supermassive black holes and massive quiescent galaxies at z >~ 6, challenging local black hole-stellar mass relations and our theoretical understanding of early black hole-galaxy co-evolution. The upcoming Roman HLWAS survey, with its much larger field of view, is projected to identify substantially larger samples of these systems, pushing into the rarest and most massive quenched population. We propose Bridging-FIRE, a novel suite of 39 cosmological zoom-in simulations targeting the extreme systems Roman is expected to uncover at z=6, 8, and 10. By combining a multi-zone, first-principles, GRMHD-informed feedback model developed within the Bridging Scale Collaboration with the FIRE-3 stellar feedback model, Bridging-FIRE is uniquely positioned to have strong predictive power for black hole-galaxy co-evolution. We will post-process the simulations to generate mock images, synthetic SEDs, and quenching diagnostics such as the UVJ diagram, providing timely mock observations and theoretical interpretation directly comparable to Roman observations and JWST follow-up. We will then evolve all simulations to z=5, placing the Roman-selected population in a broader evolutionary context and connecting galaxies observed at different epochs within a unified picture, from the onset of quenching through the most extreme massive systems probed by Roman and beyond. |