Title: The Murmuring Monster in Action: Feeding and Feedback of Dormant SMBHs in the Local Universe

Speaker: 李志远

Institute: 南京大学

Host: 杜敏

Time: 2026.4.23 周四 14:30

Location: 物理楼 552

Abstract:

It is now a consensus that supermassive black holes (SMBHs) pervade in the center of most (normal) galaxies and co-evolve with their hosts to some extent. But how this co-evolution processes remains elusive, even for some of the best-known SMBHs in the local universe where detailed observations are possible and available. In this talk, I will aim to highlight our current (still limited) understanding of how most local SMBHs are fed at only a low rate and whether the feedback from such starving SMBHs can still have a substantial influence on their environment. I will introduce recent effort by my group toward a better understanding of these long-standing problems, using M31, M81 and other nearby galaxies as the laboratory.

Bio:

Zhiyuan Li is a professor of the School of Astronomy and Space Science and the Institute of Science and Technology for Deep Space Exploration at Nanjing University. His research is mainly focused on high-energy astrophysics in the local universe, especially the interplay between massive black holes and their environment, using a multi-wavelength approach, and more recently, assisted with hydrodynamic simulations. He is also a keen user and developer of space-based astronomical facilities.