Supermassive black holes and active galactic nuclei

Abstract

Indian scientists have made significant contributions to the study of supermassive black holes (SMBH) and active galactic nuclei (AGN) through observational efforts, advanced data analysis, and theoretical modelling and simulations. Observational studies have been carried out using India’s own facilities’, such as AstroSat (India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory in UV and X-ray bands), the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), and optical/IR ground-based observatories as well as leading international observatories. This paper provides an overview of India’s contributions and outlines a vision for advancing future research in SMBH and AGN. It is an expanded and detailed version of the chapter on SMBH and AGN featured in the recently released Vision Document of the Astronomical Society of India.