ACP Seminar (Astronomy - Cosmology - Particle Physics)

Speaker: Takamitsu Tanaka (Columbia University / Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics)
Title: Modeling the Electromagnetic Signature of Merging Supermassive Black Holes
Date (JST): Thu, Jul 07, 2011, 13:30 - 15:00
Place: Seminar Room A
Abstract: Recently, intense attention has focused on the possibility that merging supermassive black hole binaries could be observed with both electromagnetic and gravitational waves. Such multi-messenger studies would (i) probe dark energy out to z~10, and (ii) allow follow-up studies of active galactic nuclei with central engines whose masses and spins are independently known through gravitational waves. I will present semianalytic, time-dependent models of the electromagnetic signature of a thin accretion disk around a coalescing supermassive black hole binary. I will discuss several scenarios for observing such a signature.
Remarks: Kimitate Hayasaki and Takamitsu Tanaka give two 40 minute talks.
Talk 1: Kimitake Hayasaki (Kyoto University)
Talk 2: Takamitsu Tanaka (Columbia University / Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics)