Scientific Rationale |
AIMS AND SCOPE OF THE CONFERENCE The study of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) has had long
historical roots, but in recent years this subject has
undergone a renaissance with the recognition that the growth
of black holes and the accompanying release of accretion
energy may have profound consequences for structure
formation in general. Black holes and their manifestation as
AGNs are now considered to be integral components of the
life-cycle of galaxies. At the same time, the advent of a
variety of state-of-the-art instrumentation, both on the
ground and in space, has led to vast improvements in the
quality and quantity of data being gathered across all
wavelengths. The phenomenology of AGNs is richer than ever.
Within this context, it is important to re-examine the
physics of AGNs in a coherent framework. While there have
been a number of related meetings in the last few years,
most of these have either focused on highly specialized
areas or else have been very broad, spanning all scales
ranging from the very center to the outskirts of the host
galaxy; many other meetings have concentrated exclusively on
the theme of the coevolution of black holes and galaxies. |