Undergraduate Physics Seminar: "Visualizing Spacetime: Dynamics of Black Hole-Disk Systems," Yuheng Guo
- Event Type
- Seminar/Symposium
- Sponsor
- Department of Physics
- Location
- Loomis 464
- Virtual
- Join online
- Date
- Dec 4, 2025 5:00 pm
- Speaker
- Yuheng Guo
- Contact
- Refia Caliskan
- hcali@illinois.edu
- Views
- 8
- Originating Calendar
- Physics - Undergraduate Student Events
Abstract: Born from compact object mergers or massive stellar collapse, black holes in gaseous environments are common in the universe and ideal candidates for multi-messenger astronomy; however, their dynamics can change drastically when the disk’s angular momentum is misaligned with the black hole’s spin. This presentation introduces the physics of tilted Black Hole-Disk (BHD) systems using General Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations within a Numerical Relativity framework. We analyze the connection between Lense-Thirring and the Papaloizou-Pringle Instability (PPI), showing how these relativistic effects drive precession and symmetry breaking. We connect these hydrodynamic simulations to observable multi-messenger signals, demonstrating how PPI-induced structures can generate gravitational waves accessible to future detectors like LISA. Finally, we discuss the role of scientific visualization in interpreting these massive datasets, showing how converting raw numbers into visualizations helps us intuitively grasp complex structures, like collimated magnetic fields, that are often difficult to identify in standard plots.
Join via Zoom: https://illinois.zoom.us/j/84701225497?pwd=Xln6ZCKraIhgRswrUDdn1NfpTlOK4A