Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv University
Physics Colloquium

Academic Year  2000 - 2001

The colloquium is held at Melamed Hall (Room 6) in the Shenkar Physics Building, every Sunday at 16:10. Light refreshments are served outside Melamed Hall at 15:50. 

 
November 12

"The Biggest Black Holes"

Dr. Amri Wandel
Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University

    In recent years Massive Black Holes (MBHs) with masses of 106-109 times the mass of the sun, have been detected in the centers of many galaxies, including our own, using stellar and gas motions. As more MBHs were measured, an amazing result emerged: the  masses of the MBHs are a fraction (0.002-0.005) of the host galaxy (Richstone 1998 et al.,Nature 395, A14). MBHs have been measured also in the nuclei of active galaxies and quasars, using the new reverberation technique. These MBHs seem to show a similar mass relation, but by a factor of ~10 lower than in less active and ordinary galaxies.

    Understanding these observations can answer some facinating questions: Does every galaxy have a MBH at its center? How do MBHs evolve? Did nonactive MBHs, such as in our Galaxy, have an active past as quasars or active nuclei?
 

Host: Dr. Ron Lifshitz, x5145
 
Next Colloquium Fall 2000 Schedule Spring 2001 Schedule

For more information or for directions to Melamed Hall please contact: Yardena Mori  +972-3-6408636

To suggest potential speakers or register feedback contact:  Ron Lifshitz  +972-3-6405145

Sponsored by:   The School of Physics & Astronomy, The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University.