The Fates of Stars Orbiting Too Close to Massive Black Holes

Explore the fascinating fate of stars that venture too close to massive black holes in this 49-minute conference talk by Eliot Quataert from Princeton 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 phenomenon of tidal disruption events (TDEs). Discover how these cosmic occurrences, where stars are torn apart by a supermassive black hole's tidal forces, provide unique insights into galactic nuclei and central black holes. Learn about recent advancements in wide-field survey capabilities that have accelerated TDE detection rates, and explore the theoretical uncertainties in TDE modeling. Gain a deeper understanding of the connections between TDEs, variable Active Galactic Nuclei, and X-ray binaries, and uncover the most pressing questions in TDE theory and observation.