Fuelling the Fire: Unveiling the Merger-AGN Connection from the Local Universe to the Cosmic noon

Galaxy mergers have long been considered a key mechanism in shaping galaxies and triggering active galactic nuclei (AGN). However, the exact role of mergers remains debated, particularly across cosmic time. In this talk, I will present my PhD research on the merger-AGN connection from the local Universe to cosmic noon, the peak of star formation and black hole accretion. Our approach combines multi-wavelength datasets with state-of-the-art machine learning techniques to identify galaxy mergers and AGN hosts. Using Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC), we quantified the merger-AGN relation up to redshift 𝑧∼0.8. Extending this to JWST/COSMOS-Web data, we explored this connection at cosmic noon (𝑧∼1−2) with unprecedented spatial resolution. Most recently, early Euclid data (Q1) allowed us to exploit the survey’s statistical power, analysing an unprecedentedly large dataset of galaxies to study AGN-merger correlations on cosmological scales. I will discuss key observational challenges, the role of morphology in AGN studies, and implications for galaxy evolution in the era of next-generation surveys.