Abstract: Supermassive black holes, million to billion times more massive than the Sun, are now believed to lurk at the centre of every galaxy. Furthermore, it would appear that supermassive black holes "know" in which galaxy they live, as bigger galaxies contain bigger supermassive black holes and vice versa. This suggests that the formation of galaxies and the growth of supermassive black holes are tightly linked, which is surprising considering that despite their tremendous mass such black holes are still much smaller than their host galaxies, just like DNA molecules to a human body. Could they play a similarly vital role in the growth of galaxies?
Bio: Dr. Marc Sarzi is the Head of Research at Armagh Observatory & Planetarium, and is a former SFTC Public Engagement Fellow.
Doors open about 7.15pm. There is free parking available on the campus in the evenings. Admission Free, including light refreshments. We are located in the Bell Theatre, Department of Mathematics and Physics, QUB – details here……
With thanks to the Astrophysics Research Centre, QUB, for assistance with this event.