The Growth and Evolution of Massive Black Holes

Recent observations have for the first time found a link between supermassive black holes and the galaxies which harbor them. The observed correlation between black hole mass and galactic bulge stellar mass (Figure 1) has thus placed the evolution of supermassive black holes, or quasars, in the broader context of the formation of galaxies and structures . So far, observations are limited by the small aperture of HST to the most nearby galaxies only. GSMT with AO will be the only facility to have the combination of spatial resolution and light-gathering power to measure kinematical masses of the stars surrounding black holes at cosmological distances. Closer to home, the light-gathering power of GSMT will allow us to watch individual stars as they fall into the supermassive black hole in the center of our Galaxy, a process hinted at of the brightest stars circling Sgr A*.