Seminar:- X-Rays and the Relativistic Astrophysics of Supermassive Black Holes
Most galaxies are believed to host a supermassive black hole at their centre. When such a black hole grows via the accretion of matter, spectacular quantities of energy are released across the electromagnetic spectrum. X-rays, in particular, are thought to originate from the very central regions of the accretion flow where fluid motions approach the speed of light and general relativistic effects are strong. In this talk, the speaker shall give a brief introduction to the physics of black hole accretion and then describe how analyses of modern X-ray data have allowed an exploration of relativistic physics close to supermassive black holes. Topics include (i) evidence for coronae of electron-positron pair plasmas associated with the central accretion flow, (ii) the current status of measurements of supermassive black hole spin and their implications for the growth mode of supermassive black holes, (iii) probes of the physics of hyper-accretion via X-ray studies of stars that are tidally disrupted by supermassive black holes. the speaker shall conclude with a brief discussion of future prospects for these investigations.
時間：2018.04.11(三) 16:30 ~ 17:15
地點：香港中文大學 科學館北座L2演講廳
講者：Prof. Christopher S. REYNOLDS(Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK)
語言：英語
免費講座，歡迎參加
#13
此活動由香港中文大學物理系主辦。
