Gravitational Wave Sources at the Hearts of Galaxies
Smadar Naoz
UCLA
The recent gravitational wave detections by LIGO/Virgo revolutionized the
way we sense our Universe. However, it remains challenging to explain the
formation channels of these sources. Motivated by these challenges, recent
studies have emphasized the significant contribution of dynamical formation
channels in dense stellar environments to the overall gravitational wave
signals. Focusing on the dense stellar clusters surrounding supermassive
black holes at the center of galaxies, I will outline stellar binaries'
evolution from birth up to possible gravitational wave mergers. The
supermassive black hole can induce collisions between binary members, while
the frequent interactions with the neighbors in this dense environment can
sometimes tend to unbind the binary. I will highlight some exotic outcomes,
including gravitational-wave emission, for this dynamical evolution
channel. I will show how this channel can leave a clear signature on the
gravitational wave signals, allowing differentiation between different
merger mechanisms. The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) can
potentially be used to distinguish between channels.
Date: | Mardi, le 7 septembre 2021 |
Heure: | 15:30 |
Lieu: | Université McGill |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSQK9l4T2Cs |
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