Research highlights

Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are supermassive black holes located in the center of galaxies, which accrete gas through an accretion disk. The radiation originating in the accretion disk is believed to produce gas outflows. These winds can reach galactic scales, and may have a significant impact on the evolution of their host galaxy. 

Post starburst E+A galaxies are believed to be a short phase in galaxy evolution, connecting gas-rich major mergers (observed as ULIRGs) with quiescent ellipticals. Simulations suggest that during a major merger, a starburst is triggered and gas is funneled to the vicinity of the supermassive black hole, triggering an AGN. The AGN then launches powerful outflows that quench the starburst abruptly. This results in a post starburst galaxy that will later evolve to a quiescent elliptical.

Astronomy is going through a revolution. As astronomical surveys become larger and deeper, we face unprecedented data volumes which challenge the classical methods with which we extract information and make new discoveries. The challenge is not only due to the data volumes, but also due to their complexity. How can we extract novel information and detect new physical phenomena in these large and complex datasets?