Accretion Physics in the Era of JWST

Organizers:

Misty Bentz, Georgia State University
Christine Done, Durham University
Martin Elvis, Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Guido Risaliti, University of Florence

The accretion-powered growth of supermassive black holes releases enormous amounts of gravitational potential energy, powering the activity seen in quasars and active galactic nuclei. This power is emitted as radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, transforming the darkest objects in the Universe into the brightest, and is also emitted in kinetic components such as winds and jets. Together these feedback effects inject some fraction of the accretion power into the host galaxy, controlling its growth via star formation over cosmic time. While this outline captures our current understanding, fundamental unanswered questions remain such as “What is the nature of the accretion flow?” and “How can the accretion process grow such large black hole masses in such a short time after the Big Bang?” With the December 2021 launch of JWST, an enormous discovery space has been opened in wavelength, sensitivity, and angular resolution for studying massive accreting black holes across cosmic time. We will bring together experts in theory, observations, and computational modeling for discussion of the state of the art in our understanding of the AGN phase and the accretion process as well as collaborative planning for future exploration with the new tools and capabilities that JWST provides. Synergies with Euclid, Roman, and other new facilities will also be a key part of the Workshop.