(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2014-10-21)
Ballantyne, David
Black holes are perhaps the most mysterious and enigmatic objects that one can imagine.
Their gravitational fields are so strong that light is unable to escape their
grasp, and even fundamental quantities such as space and time are severely
disrupted by their presence. Yet, despite their fantastical nature,
astronomers have compiled significant evidence that black holes are actually
quite common and are lying at the centers of almost all massive galaxies.
Therefore, black holes are no longer the theoretical subjects of mathematical
physicists; they are now known to be crucial to our understanding of how
galaxies and other structures in the Universe formed and evolved. This talk
will provide an overview of our understanding of black holes in the
observable universe, and outline how astrophysicists are using them to probe
some of the deepest questions in the cosmos.
(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2011-03-31)
Ballantyne, David; Korzun, Ashley; Krige, John; Spencer, David
Panelists David Ballantyne, Assistant Professor in the School of Physics and the Center for Relativistic Astrophysics (CRA); Ashley Korzun, graduate student in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering; John Krige, Kranzberg Professor in the School of History, Technology and Society; and David Spencer, Professor in the School of Aerospace Engineering and Director of the Center for Space Systems. discussed the future of NASA after the end of the space shuttle program, touching on topics such as the future of payload delivery, the exploration of Mars, the commercialization of space, funding issues and much more.