We use X-ray, optical, near-IR data to understand the evolutionary relationships between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies in the early distant universe.
Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are a population of galaxies where SMBHs in their cores are growing at a fast pace because of the mass accretion from the surrounding area. We probe their innermost regions by studying their properties on the X-ray electromagnetic band, and then compare them with images and spectroscopy in visual and nIR bands.
EMIR (Especrografo Multiobjeto Infra-Rojo) is the first second-generation GTC instrument to enter regular operations. It is a near-infrared (0.9 - 2.5 µm) wide-field imager and medium-resolution multi-object spectrograph installed at the Naysmith-A focal station. The center piece of the instrument is the CSU (Configurable Slit Unit) allowing to configure and observe in real time up to 55 slits over the 4' x 6.67' spectroscopic field of view.