Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) are the brightest sources of electromagnetic radiation in the universe, enabling us to observe them across the cosmos. AGNs are the central parts of galaxies.
Most of their brightness results from the accretion of matter by a supermassive black hole (SMBH) at their center. Studying the AGNs informs us about the role of SMBHs in the formation and evolution of galaxies. Fundamental properties of the SMBHs (e.g., mass) and their interactions with the surrounding environments are quantified based on fundamental rules of atomic physics.
In my talk, I will explain how we determine the mass of SMBHs, using the Reverberation mapping method. I will also discuss two strange SMBH cases that cast doubt on 30 years of mass measurement approaches. I will conclude my talk by presenting the physics behind one of the mentioned cases and pointing out the unanswered questions about the other.
BIO
Maryam Dehghanian received her Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky in 2020, where she worked on a significant space-based single-object astronomy project. During her Ph.D., Dr. Dehghanian solved a four-year-old mystery, which was considered a significant achievement in her field. Then in early 2020, she joined a second extensive space-based project as a postdoctoral researcher. This second project is still ongoing, while Dr. Dehghanian recently joined Virginia Tech as a research faculty. Currently, she mainly works on extracting the outflow kinematics from UV observations of the energetic outflow systems. Dr. Dehghanian has published several papers in prestigious journals and has presented her research at numerous national and international conferences. Her research interests include reverberation mapping, emission and absorption outflow systems, supermassive black holes, and the study of active galactic nuclei.
Host: Junjie Mao
