Understanding Quasars

Understanding Quasars
By: Dr. Paola Rodriguez Hidalgo - York University & the University of Toronto

Quasars are among the most luminous objects in the sky. These very energetic regions lie at the center of massive galaxies and are powered by a super-massive black hole. While it has been found that there is a correlation between the mass of these super-massive black holes and the mass of the surrounding galaxies, the co-evolution of galaxies and quasars is barely understood. Outflows launched from the vicinity of super-massive black holes are a key piece in this puzzle, possibly linking the small and the large scale phenomena. In particular, we have discovered that some of this gas is outflowing at very high speeds (up to 216 million km/h !). To better characterize these outflows, our group is conducting an encompassing multi-wavelength study of quasars outflows. All these results have implications for current theoretical models and will help us better understand quasars.

Talks start at 7:30 socializing starts at 7:00.

Who can attend: everyone including non-members
Fee: free
Reservation not needed 
Location: Ontario Science Centre