Colloquium

Upcoming Colloquium

Gravitational Wave Sources at the Heart of Galaxies
Dr. Smadar Naoz, UCLA

April 15, 2024
11:00am in LA4-120

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Abstract

The detection of gravitational waves from merging stellar-mass black holes and neutron stars by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) has transformed our understanding of the Universe. However, it remains difficult to explain how these sources form. In this talk, I will show that the dense environments of stars and stellar remnants surrounding super-massive black holes (SMBH) can naturally produce such mergers, which is consistent with LIGO's findings. Interestingly, almost every galaxy, including our own Milky Way, has an SMBH at its center with a mass between millions and billions of solar masses. These SMBHs are surrounded by dense structures of stars and stellar remnants. I will also demonstrate that the unique and dense environments surrounding SMBHs can result in star-star and star-black hole collisions. The Milky Way's Galactic Center (GC) provides an accessible laboratory for studying the various physical processes that occur in the presence of an SMBH, which may also take place in other galactic nuclei. Finally, I will provide specific predictions for distinguishing mergers in these systems from other sources using LIGO and LISA, as well as detecting unique electromagnetic components from these sources.

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