TSI Seminar - Smadar Naoz

Smadar Naoz (UCLA)

Feb 4, 2025 3:30 PM
Location: Bell Room (Rutherford 103)
TSI Seminar

The detection of gravitational waves from merging stellar-mass black holes and neutron stars by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) has revolutionized our understanding of the universe. However, the origins of these mergers remain a puzzle. In this talk, I will demonstrate how the dense stellar environments surrounding supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in galactic centers naturally produce gravitational wave sources consistent with LIGO observations. Nearly every galaxy, including our Milky Way, hosts an SMBH at its core, surrounded by dense populations of stars and stellar remnants. I will discuss how these unique environments can also lead to star-star and star-BH collisions, offering a window into the dynamic interactions in galactic nuclei. The Milky Way’s Galactic Center provides a nearby laboratory for exploring these processes, offering insights into phenomena occurring across other galactic nuclei. Finally, I will present predictions to distinguish these mergers from other astrophysical sources in both gravitational-wave observatories like LIGO and LISA and through their potential electromagnetic signatures.


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Upcoming Seminars

TSI Seminars take place weekly during the Fall and Winter terms. TSI seminars are intended to be accessible to scientists from the entire breadth of backgrounds at TSI, including, Physics, Planetary Science, Geology, Atmospheric Science, and Astrobiology. Our seminar series is partially funded by the Centre de recherche en astrophysique du Québec (CRAQ).

TSI Seminar - Alex Pedersen

Alex Pedersen (Queen's University MacDonald Institute)

Feb 18, 2025 3:30 PM
Location: Bell Room (Rutherford 103)
TSI Seminar
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50 Years of Gamma-ray Bursts: The Most Powerful Explosions in the Universe

Dr. Lauren Rhodes (McGill)

Feb 18, 2025 7:00 PM
Location: Trottier 0100, Trottier Building 3630 University St, Montréal
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TSI Seminar - Keith McBride

Keith McBride (University of Chicago)

Feb 25, 2025 3:30 PM
Location: Bell Room (Rutherford 103)
TSI Seminar
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TSI Seminar - Stephen Taylor

Stephen Taylor (Vanderbilt University)

Mar 11, 2025 3:30 PM
Location: Bell Room (Rutherford 103)
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TSI Seminar - Anna Ho

Anna Ho (Cornell University)

Mar 18, 2025 3:30 PM
Location: Bell Room (Rutherford 103)
TSI Seminar
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TSI Seminar - Philipp Moesta

Philipp Moesta (University of Amsterdam)

Mar 25, 2025 3:30 PM
Location: Bell Room (Rutherford 103)
TSI Seminar
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TSI Seminar - Sara Ellison

Sara Ellison (University of Victoria)

Apr 1, 2025 3:30 PM
Location: Bell Room (Rutherford 103)
TSI Seminar
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TSI Seminar - Gwen Eadie

Gwen Eadie (University of Toronto)

Apr 8, 2025 3:30 PM
Location: Bell Room (Rutherford 103)
TSI Seminar
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TSI Seminar - Jonas Zmuidzinas

Jonas Zmuidzinas (Caltech)

Apr 15, 2025 3:30 PM
Location: Bell Room (Rutherford 103)
TSI Seminar
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