Abstract

Invited Talk - Splinter ALMA2040

Wednesday, 09 September 2026, 15:05   (MW-2235)

WISDOM in ALMA2040: galaxy centre physics at high resolution, from supermassive black-holes to molecular clouds

Eric Liang
Heidelberg University

The WISDOM project (mm-Wave Interferometric Survey of Dark Object Masses) uses ALMA low-J CO data to resolve the sphere of influence of the central supermassive black-holes (SMBHs) of nearby galaxies. Accurate dynamical measurements of SMBH masses have been obtained as an important bedrock of the co-evolution picture of the SMBH and the galaxy. With such data, the gas feeding, emission mechanism, and feedback of the SMBH/AGN have been studied. In addition, the dense stellar mass and deep potential well at (especially early-type) galaxy centres shape the properties of molecular clouds, providing potential explanation of star formation suppression. I will walk through the discoveries of the WISDOM project and prospects with ALMA2040: unlocking new physical regimes, surveying larger samples with less bias, extending into high-z, etc.