Active galactic nuclei: an examination of their physical environment and properties

Supermassive black holes at the centers of large galaxies become active when fed with material, producing prodigious power in the form of radiation and matter outflows. This thesis examines the complex, closely-couple interactions between these active galactic nuclei and their host galaxies; how these AGN create stars and are in turn fed. Detailed observations using the world’s largest telescopes and most complex instruments are made of gas physics, and are compared to theoretical model predictions, supporting a paradigm of an evolutionary cycle of gas compression, star formation and AGN activity. This contributes to our understanding of these important and fascinating objects.