Properties of quasistellar objects and their progenitors in the radio and mm wavelength regimes in the context of ULIRG-to-QSO evolution [Elektronische Ressource] / vorgelegt von Sabine König

Properties of Quasistellar Objects and theirprogenitors in the radio and mm wavelengthregimes in the context of ULIRG-to-QSOevolutionInaugural-DissertationzurErlangung des Doktorgradesder Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakult atder Universit at zu K olnvorgelegt vonSabine K onigaus ErfurtK oln 2010Berichterstatter: Prof. Dr. Andreas EckartProf. Dr. ZilgesTag der mundlic hen Prufung: 01.02.2010Meiner FamilieAbstractThe thesis at hand presents the results of a study of galaxies withactive galactic nuclei (AGN) carried out in the radio and mm wave-length regimes at low and high angular resolutions. The studiedobjects cover a broad range of mechanisms responsible for power-ing the engines of the respective galaxies: ULIRGs (U ltraLuminousI nfrared Galaxies), a product of mergers between galaxies that aresupposedly powered by starbursts, AGN or a mixture of the two,and QSOs (quasi-stellar objects) which are powered by AGN. SinceULIRGs and QSOs show similar properties (especially the infraredluminosities), it was proposed that they form the early and late phaseof an evolutionary sequence where supposedly ULIRGs are the dustenshrouded progenitors of QSOs.As a prototypical ULIRG, Arp 220 represents an early-to-intermediatephase object in the scheme of the ULIRG-to-QSO evolution. For thisobject observations at multiple mm wavelengths and angular resolu-tions with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI) are pre-sented and analyzed.