Mark Lacy

I am exploring the links between the evolution of quasars and their host galaxies through studies of quasar host galaxies using adaptive optics. I am also involved in finding new quasar populations, for example, red quasars, which are missed in most quasar surveys, but which can be found in sky surveys performed in the infrared. I am also interested in trying to relate observables such as radio and optical luminosity, and linewidths, to fundamental quasar properties such as black hole mass, spin and accretion rate. Quasars can also be used to study distant galaxies whose gas disks intercept the line of sight between us and the quasars, and so absorb some of the quasar light. I am part of a project which is studying this population of absorbing galaxies, and trying to relate them to normal galaxies today.