On the Hunt for Rogue Supermassive Black Holes Using Tidal Disruption Events

Explore the hunt for rogue supermassive black holes using tidal disruption events in this 30-minute conference talk by Tatsuya Akiba from CU Boulder. Delve into the fascinating world of tidal disruption events (TDEs), where stars are destroyed by the immense tidal fields of supermassive black holes, resulting in luminous accretion flares. Discover how these events provide unique insights into galactic nuclei and their central black holes. Learn about the recent advances in wide-field survey capabilities that have accelerated TDE detection rates across the electromagnetic spectrum. Examine the theoretical uncertainties in TDE modeling and the challenges in using these events to decipher black hole demographics across cosmic time. Gain insights into the connections between TDEs and related phenomena such as variable Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and X-ray binaries. Understand the importance of uniting diverse astronomers working on TDEs and related fields to bridge theory and observation, ultimately tapping into the wealth of understanding contained within TDE observations.