Springer - Obscured Growth of Supermassive Black Holes Thesis

Explore the complexities of supermassive black holes in this specialized Springer thesis. This academic work applies state-of-the-art high-energy X-ray studies to investigate obscured active galactic nuclei (AGN). These black holes grow through the accretion of matter, but the very material feeding them creates veils that make them difficult to observe. By using high-energy X-raying techniques, researchers can peer through these obscuring layers to study galactic nuclei. This thesis provides first constraints on the local heavily obscured AGN fraction using NuSTAR data. It includes a proof-of-concept application of novel X-ray Monte Carlo codes to Nuclear Spectroscop, offering deep insights into the astronomical quest to understand how these powerful objects evolve within their galaxies.