Neal Dalal, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
When
Where
Abstract: I’ll discuss an old technique called intensity interferometry, pioneered by Hanbury Brown and Twiss (HBT) that allows us to achieve sub-microarcsecond angular resolution using ordinary ground-based optical telescopes observing visible light. This technique is best suited for compact, bright sources, and I will discuss applications of intensity interferometry observations of bright, supermassive black holes called active galactic nuclei (AGN). I’ll discuss possible applications, including measurement of the Hubble constant H0, and probing the innermost structure of quasar accretion disks.
Bio:
Neal Dalal is a theoretical cosmologist with interests in large-scale structure, dark matter, gravitational lensing, and cosmic inflation. He received his PhD from UCSD, and then held postdoctoral fellowships at the IAS and CITA, before joining the faculty of the University of Illinois in 2011. He has been faculty at the Perimeter Institute since 2017.
WANT TO MEET THE SPEAKER?
Sign up on the invited speaker schedule.