NBIA Colloquium via Zoom by Daniel D'Orazio (NBIA)

We would like to invite you to this week’s (Zoom) Colloquium on

                          Friday, May 7 at 3:15 PM

Speaker: Daniel D’Orazio (NBIA)

Title: A Multi-messenger Exposé of the Biggest Black Hole Pairs in the Universe

Abstract: At the center of nearly every galaxy in the Universe resides a supermassive black hole. When galaxies collide, their supermassive black holes sink to the center of the newly forming galaxy. There in this nascent galactic nucleus a supermassive black hole binary is formed. Supermassive binaries are the subject of a long-standing mystery in astrophysics: will these black holes merge and what can that tell us about the extreme environments that shape them? Their mutual evolution with galaxies?And the low-frequency gravitational wave sky? To solve this problem, we need to advance binary population models that are currently limited by uncertainties in environment-assisted binary orbital evolution, and we importantly need to couple model predictions with observational constraints on the supermassive black hole binary population using both electromagnetic and gravitational tracers. I will discuss work on both of these fronts, and how in a few years a wealth of data from both gravitational wave and time-domain electromagnetic observations could greatly advance our understanding of supermassive black hole binaries and their astrophysical environments.

Brief bio-sketch: Dan did his undergraduate studies at Juniata College in central Pennsylvania, after which he took a one-year Fulbright fellowship to the University of Zurich. He next moved to Columbia University where he completed his PhD with advisors Janna Levin and Zoltan Haiman on a variety of topics relating to the electromagnetic signatures of astrophysical sources of gravitational waves. Following his PhD, Dan was awarded a NASA Einstein Fellowship which he took to Harvard University. After four years in Cambridge, MA, he began as an assistant professor at the NBIA in fall 2020.

To participate on Friday, click on

https://ucph-ku.zoom.us/j/61333932427 

The colloquium will be moderated by Poul Henrik Damgaard and we strongly encourage you to participate actively by asking questions during the talk. Poul Henrik will briefly remind you how this can be done just before the colloquium starts.