The Gigantic Black Hole in the Center of our Galaxy - Re'em Sari - 08/16/2024

What happens to the stars orbiting around the supermassive black hole in the center of our galaxy? What can they teach us about this extreme environment? Join us for a 30-minute lecture discussing supermassive black holes, followed by a panel Q&A consisting of several astrophysicists to answer your questions about astrophysics and space science. Timestamps below:

00:00 Announcements
5:12 Intro to Speaker
7:45 Black Hole Presentation
42:10 Q&A for Black Hole Presentation
42:39 "What makes the 'sharpness' of a black hole's event horizon?"
43:55 "Is our galaxy shrinking or growing?"
45:50 "Can a black hole binary get tidally disrupted if it approaches the SMBH?"
47:25 "Are black holes and dark matter the same thing?"
48:55 Intermission
55:05 Q&A Panel Introductions
59:17 "Can WIMPs be dark matter?"
1:02:25 "Can dark matter gravitationally lens?"
1:06:57 "What causes starquakes?"
1:09:02 "Is our supermassive black hole growing?"
1:12:17 "What upcoming telescopes / missions are you excited about?"
1:17:35 "Where is the best institution to study our supermassive black hole?"
1:20:46 "Does astrophysics have real world applications or is it just academic?"
1:29:44 "How strong is a star held together?"
1:31:29 "Do we have methods for estimating the age of a black hole?"
1:37:04 "Is there evidence for Planet 9 in the outer solar system?"
1:40:12 "What is the moment of inertia of a black hole?"
1:44:38 "Are different sized objects affected differently by tidal forces near a black hole?"
1:46:45 "Could a quark collapse into as a black hole?"
1:48:38 "Why are supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies?"
1:53:40 Concluding Remarks

Title: The Gigantic Black Hole in the Center of our Galaxy and the Stars Around It
Lecturer: Re'em Sari
Abstract:
The center of our Milky Way galaxy is home to a supermassive black hole orbited by several million stars. When stars pass too close to the black hole, they may be gravitationally disrupted and torn apart, resulting in short-lived energetic explosions. Most of the galaxies in the universe similarly host central supermassive black holes surrounded by stars. What signals can we detect from these black holes with telescopes and gravitational wave detectors, and what do they teach us about these extreme environments?

Image Credit: University of Cologne