PIRSA:14110077

Stellar Dynamical Measurements of the Black Hole in M87 and Friends

Gultekin, K. (2014). Stellar Dynamical Measurements of the Black Hole in M87 and Friends. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/14110077

Gultekin, Kayhan. Stellar Dynamical Measurements of the Black Hole in M87 and Friends. Perimeter Institute, Nov. 11, 2014, https://pirsa.org/14110077 

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:14110077,
            doi = {10.48660/14110077},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/14110077},
            author = {Gultekin, Kayhan},
            keywords = {Strong Gravity},
            language = {en},
            title = {Stellar Dynamical Measurements of the Black Hole in M87 and Friends},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2014},
            month = {nov},
            note = {PIRSA:14110077 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }

Kayhan Gultekin University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

DOI 10.48660/14110077
Collection
Talk Type Conference
Subject

Abstract

Stellar dynamical measurements of black hole masses have become the de facto standard method. I will give a brief review of how this measurement method works, along with arguments for its overall reliability and caveats. Then I will turn my attention to the case of the black hole in M87. The black hole is undeniably large ? billions of solar masses ? but has a stellar dynamical mass measurement in disagreement with gas dynamical mass measurements at about the 2 sigma level. I will discuss potential systematic uncertainties in both measurements and avenues to reconciling the discrepancy.