January 28 , 2008
3pm in Howey Physics Lecture Room 5

 

David R. Ballantyne
Department of Physics, University of Arizona

 

"The Astrophysics of Supermassive Black Holes"

Supermassive black holes play a vital role in modern astrophysics. They seem to reside at the center of almost all massive galaxies, and they play an important role in the growth and evolution of galaxies throughout cosmic time. In addition, the black hole may interact with its immediate environment allowing observational tests of curved spacetimes and other extreme phenomena. This talk will provide an overview of the importance and relevance of black holes in astrophysics. I first will review the compelling evidence for a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. I then will step outwards and describe how observations of Active Galactic Nuclei can probe the spins of black holes and the mysteries of relativistic jets. Finally, I conclude by describing how studies of black hole growth and evolution lead to clues about the growth and formation of galaxies.