X-ray and Optical Insights into the Growth of Supermassive Black Holes

Groundbreaking Research from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory

Wednesday, November 16, 2011
3:30p.m., Room 2139
Oakton Community College
1600 E. Golf Road
Des Plaines, IL 60016

Daryl Haggard, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow at Northwestern University's Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA)

Most galaxies, including our own, are thought to contain supermassive black holes. For reasons not entirely understood, these black holes exhibit a wide variety of activiy levels - from dormant to almost "hyper." Now, a new study has provided information about how often the biggest black holes have been active over the last few billion years and clarifies how they grow - which could have implications for how our own giant black hole, in the center of the Milky Way, will behave in the future.

Dr. Haggard brought excitement and awe to the study of astrophysics. Students stayed long past the scheduled time to ask many questions!

Sponsored by the Center for Promoting STEM and the Oakton Student Government Association.