Date:   Oct. 21, 2008 (Tuesday)
Time:   3:30 pm EDT (refreshments at 3:20 pm)
Place:  Green Bank Auditorium
         (Video: CV-AUD)

Speaker:  Kelly Holley-Bockelmann, Vanderbilt University

Title:  "Numerical modeling of interacting groups of Galaxies"

Abstract:

Astronomers now know that supermassive black holes are a natural part
of nearly every galaxy, but how these black holes form, grow, and
interact within the galactic center is still a mystery. I will discuss
how we can use N-body simulations to track the interplay between
galaxies, dark matter halos, and supermassive black holes. We have
discovered that the shape of the galaxy influences the black hole, but
the effect is not entirely one-sided. Supermassive black holes leave
an imprint on the galaxy structure as well, and surprisingly, can even
change the structure and kinematics of the intracluster medium where
galaxies live. There is more work to be done to uncover how
supermassive black holes and galaxies co-exist, and I will talk about
what important questions remain.

Future Colloquia:

http://www.gb.nrao.edu/colloquia/colloquia.html