Dartmouth Events

Physics & Astronomy - Astronomy Seminar - Jason Dexter, MPE Garching

Title: "The Structure and Dynamics of the Hot Dust and Broad Emission Line Regions of Active Galactic Nuclei"

Thursday, February 22, 2018
3:30pm – 4:30pm
Wilder 202
Intended Audience(s): Public
Categories: Lectures & Seminars

Abstract:  The observed properties of supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei (AGN) are shaped by surrounding atomic gas and dust in the broad emission line region and dusty torus, which obscure and reprocess the optical/UV accretion disk emission. However, the physical origin of both structures remains unclear. The new GRAVITY instrument at the VLT interferometer opens up the possibility to spatially resolve both regions with unprecedented detail. I will describe the measurements and some preliminary results, and show how future data could be used to derive black hole masses and geometric distances for nearby AGN.

 

 

For more information, contact:
Tressena Manning
603-646-2854

Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.