Speaker
Description
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will open a new window on the dynamic Universe, delivering deep, multi-band, time-domain observations over a large fraction of the sky. Its combination of depth, area, cadence, and wavelength coverage will have a major impact on many areas of astrophysics, from Solar System studies to cosmology and galaxy evolution.
I will give an overview of LSST and then focus on active galactic nuclei, for which LSST will provide a unique view of variability, accretion processes, and the demographics of growing supermassive black holes across cosmic time. I will discuss challenges such as the identification and classification of AGNs from photometry and variability alone, which require robust selection methods and a careful understanding of observational biases and systematics.
I will conclude by discussing the role of simulations in preparing for LSST AGN science, with particular emphasis on AGILE: AGN In the LSST Era, an end-to-end simulation framework developed as part of the INAF LSST in-kind contribution. I will briefly discuss how AGILE can support LSST AGN science by testing selection strategies, quantifying biases, and helping interpret the first LSST data.