From Globular Clusters to Hypervelocity Stars – Insights from Dynamics

by Prof. Idan Ginsburg (Physics, Tufts University)

Monday Feb 12, 2018, 3:30 PM → 4:30 PM Pacific/Honolulu

420 (Watananbe Hall)

The Milky Way galaxy is a dynamical gold mine. I will describe our current work involving simulations with globular clusters, and what this can teach us. The Milky Way is also home to a supermassive black hole which has its own cluster of stars. I will describe how these stars got into such unexpectedly close and highly elliptical orbits around the black hole, and the unique science they can teach us including testing general relativity in the strong-field regime. I will also discuss the exciting possibility that planets may exist around the center of our galaxy, and why you should care (you should).
 

downloadable video I.Ginsburg.mp4