Testing Spacetime Geometry with Images of Supermassive Compact Objects - Current Status and Future Prospects

Explore the latest findings in testing spacetime geometry through a detailed seminar presentation from the Harvard CMSA General Relativity series. Delve into how the Event Horizon Telescope's groundbreaking imaging of Sagittarius A* enables testing of black hole theories and alternative models. Learn about parametric deformations of the Kerr metric, frameworks for testing no-hair theorems, and the significance of shadow critical curves in observational data. Understand the potential of future measurements focusing on photon rings and their role in establishing more rigorous tests of spacetime metrics and gravity. Examine various aspects including central intensity depression, antisymmetric spacetime, horizon radius, and metric parameterization through comprehensive mathematical and observational analyses. Gain insights into how different theories compare, the constraints of current observations, and the implications for our understanding of supermassive compact objects in the strong-field regime.