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Multi-wavelength study of accretion onto black holes and its evolution during cosmic times (High-z & Multi-λ)
Start date: Mar 1, 2013, End date: Feb 28, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The beginning of this century can be considered a golden age for X-ray astronomy, with the launch of XMM-Newton, Chandra and Suzaku, three cornerstones of the ESA, NASA and JAXA space programs. These observatories, although more than 10yr old, still deliver excellent science and X-ray astronomy now leads many fields of astronomical investigation. However, only small-medium class X-ray missions are planned to be launched in the next 10-15yr, thus shrinking the space for new discoveries in X-rays alone.The two years at MPE will allow to diversify my scientific expertise by: i) expanding my research field into: a) Optical-Infra Red (IR) bands; b) evolution of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) variability through cosmic time; ii) being granted access to Optical-IR facilities and new X-ray missions. The proposed project will allow to:1) measure the evolution of AGN variability over cosmic time using large AGN samples, thus also assessing whether AGN can be used as standard candles;2) measure SgrA*'s duty cycle, its past activity, the Molecular Cloud (MC) Galactic Center (GC) distribution, the level of GC cosmic rays, the irradiation induced MC chemistry;3) if SgrA* will go into outburst (a gas cloud will reach SgrA* in mid 2013) we will lead the X-ray investigation of this major event (e.g. the switching on of an AGN, jet-disc creation) that will remain in astronomy records;4) link (thanks to NuSTAR, the new NASA X-ray mission) the variability properties of the Compton reflection hump, the FeK line and the soft excess in AGN, to finally understand the origin of these components;5) monitoring the evolution of the cross-correlation function and the spectral energy distribution, during an entire Galactic Black Hole (GBH) outburst, to echo-map and determine the transformation of the disc-jet-corona system geometry;6) understand if GBH winds can keep the alpha-disc stable, constrain the connections between wind-jet-state in GBH and the connections between GBH and AGN winds.

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