Current Status of TDE Observations: The Promise of Population Studies

Explore the current status of Tidal Disruption Event (TDE) observations and their potential for population studies in this 45-minute conference talk by Sjoert Van Velzen from Leiden University. Delivered as part of the "Anticipating the Rising Tide of Tidal Disruption Events: Theory and Observation" conference at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, delve into the latest advancements in wide-field survey capabilities that have accelerated TDE detection rates. Examine the theoretical uncertainties in TDE modeling and their impact on observational understanding. Discover how TDEs can provide unique insights into galactic nuclei properties and central black hole characteristics. Investigate the potential of TDEs as a collective tool for deciphering black hole demographics across cosmic time. Connect the study of TDEs to related fields such as variable Active Galactic Nuclei and X-ray binaries, highlighting recent advances and identifying outstanding questions in TDE theory and observation.