“Supermassive Black Holes in Galaxies”
Dr. Stephen Naftilan
Speaker – Dr. Stephen A. Naftilan, Emeritus Kenneth S. Pitzer Chair of Physics, Claremont McKenna College
We now believe that larger, more massive galaxies have supermassive black holes in their nuclei. Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, has a 4 million solar mass black hole at its center. What is the evidence for the existence of these black holes? How did they get there and which came first, the black hole or the galaxy? How do they evolve over time and how do they orchestrate the evolution of the galaxy they are in? Finally, what happens when galaxies collide? Professor Stephen Naftiland will address these questions and discuss the latest theories. And we will see plenty of pretty pictures! Professor Naftilan earned a B.S. from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve. In addition to astronomy, his research interests include how spiders locate the site of prey capture with web vibrations, the role of the Federal Reserve Bank as a lender of last resort, stimulation modeling and abundances in low mass stars.
Introduction: Tom Helliwell
Fellowship: Mel Boynton
Greeters: Lori McGrath, Tom Helliwell