June 30, 2023 8-10PM

Event Type: Lecture and Stargazing
Title: Finding Supermassive Black Holes with Pulsars
Lecturer: Aaron Johnson
Position: Postdoctoral Fellow
Institution: Caltech
Abstract:
Supermassive black holes lurk at the centers of most galaxies. When galaxies merge, their black holes are also predicted to merge, releasing vibrations in the surrounding spacetime known as gravitational waves. While we cannot directly see these gravitational waves, it may be possible to detect them by looking for irregularities in the clock-like flashes coming from distant rotating dead stars known as pulsars. By monitoring a large enough network of pulsars spread around our galaxy for these irregularities, astronomers may be able to detect supermassive black holes throughout the universe. Are the merging black holes really out there, and when will we find them? Join us to learn about these so-called "pulsar timing arrays" and how we can use them to study the most massive black holes in the universe.