Free Astronomy Talk: Black Holes, Galaxies, and the Evolution of the Universe

Black holes form at the centers of galaxies in the young Universe and, over the next 13 billion years or so, they grow together by factors of a million or more in mass. This growth generates energy that affects galaxy evolution and shapes our universe as it is today. In this talk, I give several alternative descriptions of a black hole, explain how recent multi-wavelength surveys of the sky have provided a census of black hole growth, and show computer simulations that illustrate galaxy mergers and the evolution of the universe across cosmic time.

Meg Urry is the Israel Munson Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Director of the Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics. She served as President of the American Astronomical Society from 2015-16. Her scientific research focuses on active galaxies, which host accreting supermassive black holes in their centers. She has published over 300 refereed research articles and is also known for her efforts to increase the number of women and minorities in science. She also writes about science for CNN.com.

Ticket Information
Free

Event Sponsor
Institute for Astronomy, Mānoa Campus

More Information
Roy Gal, (808) 388-8690, roygal@hawaii.edu, http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/specialevents/

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