How supermassive black holes control the galactic weather

Guest Speaker

Thursday, 15th September 2022 (19:45 - 22:00)

Venue: Hybrid

Every galaxy has a supermassive black hole in its core. We also think that the growth of galaxies can be significantly impacted by super-massive black holes, but how?

There are several potential ways that black holes can exert their power on their environment and astronomers are starting to uncover them with the latest technology and telescopes. My own attention is on "winds," which are vast streams of gas erupting from the black hole. Regarding these winds, we still have a few questions to resolve:
How are these galactic weather patterns created?
Can they be forecasted?
Do they affect the birth of new stars in the galaxy?

In this talk, James will present recent results in the field of black hole meteorology along with my current PhD research.

To visit in person, see our Meeting Room section for directions.

Speaker: James W. Petley

Bio: James Petley is a third-year PhD student at Durham University's Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy. Under the direction of Dr. Leah Morabito, James is researching the evolution of supermassive black holes with an emphasis on radio astronomy of systems with significant black hole-related winds. James completed a Masters in Physics at Durham prior to beginning his postgraduate studies, when he also became interested in astronomy due to the department's access to telescopes. James has a strong interest in both ultimate frisbee and jazz music outside of astronomy.