Physics Colloquium: Uncovering the elusive population of isolated black holes with Dr. Casey Lam

Stellar-mass black holes (BHs) are an end product of stellar evolution formed when massive stars exhaust their fuel and gravitationally collapse. Nearly all the BHs discovered to date are found in binary systems; the BH's interaction with its companion announces the BH's presence. However, the vast majority of BHs are expected to be single; they elude detection because they are effectively invisible. 

 

Dr. Lam will explain how to find and weigh single isolated BHs, present the one confirmed detection to date, and look forward to how we will find hundreds more with the recently launched Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.