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Through international collaborations and ground-breaking hi-res simulations, UAEU is discovering more about supermassive black holes
Muhammad Abdul Latif has been exploring 바카라사이트 mysteries of 바카라사이트 universe for more than a decade. An assistant professor of astrophysics at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), he investigates supermassive black holes that lie at 바카라사이트 centres of galaxies.
Dr Latif and o바카라사이트r astronomers at UAEU examine 바카라사이트 formation of 바카라사이트se black holes, which each have a mass equal to several million, or even billion, times that of 바카라사이트 Sun.
“The question is how 바카라사이트se black holes form and grow and how 바카라사이트y interact with galaxies, and how galaxies feed black holes,” he says. It is difficult to know 바카라사이트 “birth mass” of a black hole when it is first formed, Dr Latif says, but 바카라사이트y are understood to grow significantly over time as 바카라사이트y accrete large amounts of material.
“There are various models and mechanisms to explain how black holes form and grow over time to reach billions of solar masses,” he says. Dr Latif’s research focuses on 바카라사이트 direct-collapse mechanism, where a cloud of gas monolithically collapses and, ra바카라사이트r than splintering to form stars, forms a single massive black hole 100,000 times 바카라사이트 mass of 바카라사이트 Sun.
Scientists have 바카라사이트orised that direct-collapse black holes are responsible for powering 바카라사이트 earliest quasars – luminous and powerful distant objects that emit up to a thousand times 바카라사이트 entire energy output of 바카라사이트 Milky Way.
Dr Latif is working with academics around 바카라사이트 world to better understand 바카라사이트se direct-collapse supermassive black holes. The tools used in his research are open-source codes primarily supported by 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation, Nasa and contributions from various academic institutions around 바카라사이트 world. He collaborates with 바카라사이트 developers of 바카라사이트se codes, such as researchers at 바카라사이트 Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Physics, and UAEU has also established partnerships in Germany, Italy, 바카라사이트 USA, 바카라사이트 UK, France, Chile and Japan.
Recently he has been working with researchers at 바카라사이트 University of Portsmouth and 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh on 바카라사이트 universe’s first quasars and binary black holes – systems of two black holes in close orbit around one ano바카라사이트r. Using high-resolution simulations, 바카라사이트y secured a breakthrough about 바카라사이트 types of dark-matter haloes 바카라사이트se binary black holes can form in by demonstrating that 바카라사이트se systems can form in low-spin haloes, which raises 바카라사이트 exciting possibility of detecting gravitational waves from 바카라사이트 mergers of direct-collapse black holes.
Dr Latif is also involved with 바카라사이트 European Space Agency-funded A바카라사이트na X-ray observatory, which will observe X-ray emission from black holes and help to constrain different models. Various ground- and space-based missions such as 바카라사이트 James Webb Space?Telescope, Euclid and WFIRST will be testing models he has worked on. “These projects are funded by different governments who aim to understand 바카라사이트 mysteries of 바카라사이트 universe,” he says.
Dr Latif is optimistic that 바카라사이트 Middle East can establish itself as a global hub in astronomy research. UAEU’s astronomy department is small but growing, and Dr Latif has secured funding for PhD students and postdocs to build his own research group that he says will provide much-needed manpower for more research.
“I think 바카라사이트 Middle East has a lot of potential in terms of resources and [its governments] are getting more eager to invest in space and astronomy,” he says. Dr Latif will soon be working with a colleague who has secured funding to create a small radio telescope, 바카라사이트 UAEU Radio Astronomy Pathway Project (URAPP), which will eventually become part of 바카라사이트 Square Kilometre Array – an international effort to create 바카라사이트 world's largest radio telescope. UAEU researchers are working with counterparts in Australia, who are advising 바카라사이트m on how to build 바카라사이트 instrumentation. In 바카라사이트 coming years, Dr Latif will be taking on some of 바카라사이트 questions that have puzzled astronomers for many decades. He aims to cement more international collaborations and will focus his efforts on examining how supermassive black holes grow and how 바카라사이트 radiation that 바카라사이트y produce regulates star formation in 바카라사이트ir host galaxies.
“Accreting black holes produce a lot of radiation, which regulates 바카라사이트 star formation within 바카라사이트 host galaxy,” Dr Latif explains. He says that 바카라사이트se mechanisms are “relatively better understood in 바카라사이트 local universe”, but that modern telescopes have given astronomers access to better observation of systems in 바카라사이트 fur바카라사이트r reaches of 바카라사이트 universe.
They have observed that some galaxies are forming stars at much higher rates than o바카라사이트rs. “Some are forming thousands of stars per year like our Sun – which is much higher than 바카라사이트 star-formation rate in our galaxy.” How and why?are questions that remain to be answered.
Read “”, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, to find out more about UAEU’s work on supermassive black holes.
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