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Supermassive Black Hole Binaries and their Observational Signatures in Galactic Nuclei


Speaker:Prof. Liu Fukun
Affiliation:Department of Astronomy, Peking University, China
Date:March 19, 2009 (Thu)
Time:4:00-5:00 p.m.
Venue:Room 522, 5/F, Chong Yuet Ming Physics Building, HKU

Abstract:

Supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) are expected by the hierarchical galaxy formation model in ΛCDM cosmology. A binary may become stalling at the parsec scale and is expected to be detected in nearby normal gas-poor galaxies, which have not yet confirmed by observations because we do not have efficient methods to detect them. In this talk, I will introduce a possible method to detect a SMBHB in normal galaxies. As in the hierarchical galaxy formation model, today's galaxies are the product of frequent galaxy merging, triggering the activity of active galactic nuclei in gas-rich mergers. During the talk, we will also investigate the interaction of SMBBHs and an accretion disc and show that the stalling can be avoided due to the interaction and a rapid coalescence of SMMBHs can be reached, which would give rise to the rich observational signatures.

Coffee and tea will be served 20 minutes prior to the seminar.