Blaauw lecture 2024: The quest for the first stars and black holes (Groningen, English)

The Blaauw Lecture will take place on Tuesday 15 November at 20:00 in the Academy building in Groningen. UK based astronomer Roberto Maiolino will talk about the search for the first stars and black holes with the James Webb Space Telescope. The talk will be in English and admission is free. Registration is required.

Roberto Maiolino is Professor of Experimental Astrophysics in the Department of Physics (Cavendish Laboratory) and at the Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. He is also Honorary Professor of University College London, and Research Professor of the Royal Society. His main area of research is the study of the formation and evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes using a variety of observational facilities.

First stars
Finding and understanding the nature of the first stars at the dawn of the universe is one of the most important and ambitious goals of modern astrophysics. The first populations of stars produced the first chemical elements heavier than helium and formed the first small protogalaxies, which then evolved over the cosmic epoch into the large and mature galaxies, such as the Milky Way and those in our local neighborhood.

First black holes
Equally important and challenging is the search in the early universe for the seeds of the first population of black holes, which later evolved into the supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies, with masses even exceeding a billion times the mass of the Sun. When matter accretes onto such supermassive black holes, it can become so luminous that it vastly outshines the light emitted by all the stars in its host galaxy.

Infrared
Since its launch at the end of 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope has revolutionized this field of research. Its sensitivity in detecting infrared light from the remotest parts of the Universe is orders of magnitude greater than any previous observatory, representing a historic leap forward in astronomy and, more broadly, in science.

New puzzles
Roberto Maiolino will review the first extraordinary discoveries from the Webb telescope, which have led to several unexpected insights. He will also discuss the new puzzles and areas of investigation that Webb's observations have opened up, how these may challenge theoretical models, and the prospects for further progress in the coming years.

More information
Date: Tuesday 15 November 20:00
Place: Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen
Tickets will be available about a month before this date via Studium Generale Groningen.
See also: www.rug.nl/research/kapteyn/blaauw/blaauw-lecture-2024