Detecting Isolated Black Holes through Astrometric Microlensing Using HST

by Dr Kailash C. Sahu (Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, USA)

Tuesday 15 Apr 2014, 16:00 → 17:00 Asia/Kolkata

Lecture Theatre (AG-66) (Colaba Campus)

All stars with initial masses of larger than 20 solar mass are expected to end their lives as black holes. Yet, not a single isolated black hole has been detected in the Galaxy. Astrometric microlensing is the only available technique capable of detecting isolated black holes and measuring their masses. I will discuss the technique of astrometric microlensing, and two HST programs underway aimed at the first detections of isolated, stellar-mass black holes through this technique.