Astrophysical Spectroscopy of Extragalactic Objects

It is now well established that every galaxy, harbors a supermassive black hole in its centre. Intense energy is being emitted from the surroundings of black holes which we call active galactic nuclei - AGNs. In this project we are aiming to learn how these black holes produce this energy and how the black holes grow. Astrophysical spectroscopy is a powerful tool for investigating extragalactic objects, i.e., from their radiation we can draw conclusions about the nature and structure of these objects. The investigations will be in three basic directions: 1. Investigations of AGN spectral properties over a wide wavelength range. We will be studying the continuous radiation being generated, and the emission lines this continuum produces by ionizing and heating gas close to the black hole, 2. Investigations of the influence of gravitational microlensing on lensed quasar spectra, 3. Investigations of related phenomenon of gamma-ray bursts. The expected results of this project are following: 1. A significant contribution to determining the physical and kinematical proprieties of the central emission regions in AGNs, 2. Determining the influence of microlenses on the spectra of quasar images; 3. Understanding better the nature of the gamma-ray bursts and their similarity to AGNs. In addition to these scientific aims, this project will be providing a basis for the education and development of young scientists, and developing widespread international collaborations