2021/2022
The Schroedinger Visiting Professor was Prof. Priyamvada Natarajan (Yale University, USA).
Dates of visit: June 15 - July 2 and November 19 - 23, 2022
Host: Prof. Alexandre Refregier (ETH Zürich)
Schroedinger Lecture 2021/2022:
THE ELUSIVE INVISIBLE UNIVERSE
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Monday, November 21, 2022, 17.00 h (followed by an apéro)
ETH Zurich, Hönggerberg, lecture hall HIT E 51 (Siemens Auditorium)
Abstract: The key elusive cosmic constituents - dark matter, dark energy and black holes - play a fundamental role in shaping the visible universe. In this talk, The matter content of our Universe is dominated by dark matter, yet its true nature remains elusive - the particle is yet to be found after decades of experimental searches. I will discuss the current status of our understanding of dark matter and the key open questions. Einstein's theory of General Relativity predicts the bending of light by mass - gravitational lensing - and this is now detected frequently in the Universe. Gravitational lensing by clusters of galaxies offers a powerful way to map dark matter and the high quality of current data permits detailed comparison with theory using simulations of structure formation. Combining deep space data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope with data from ground-based telescopes permits the construction of high-resolution lensing derived maps of dark matter that can be used to stress-test the current theoretical paradigm for structure formation in the Universe. I present results from recent work that reveal tensions between the predictions of the standard cold dark matter model and observations of cluster lenses.
Additional pedagogical lectures:
Lecture 1: BLACK HOLE LECTURES:
THE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES
Tuesday, November 22, 2022, 10.00
ETH Zurich, Hönggerberg, lecture room HIT H 42
Lecture 2: BLACK HOLE LECTURES:
SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES & THEIR ENVIRONMENTS
Wednesday, November 23, 2022, 10.00
ETH Zurich, Hönggerberg, lecture room HIT F 12
