‘Mystery of First Stars’ unraveled at Way

0

PERRYSBURG — Way Public Library welcomes Dr. Eli Visbal, assistant professor in the Department of Physics
and Astronomy at the University of Toledo, for a talk entitled “Unraveling the Mystery of the First
Stars and Supermassive Holes” on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. This presentation will be via Zoom.
The presentation will address the exciting open question of how the first stars and supermassive black
holes formed in the early Universe. Visbal will introduce some foundational ideas in cosmology including
the Big Bang and the expansion of the Universe and describe theoretical predictions (including computer
simulations) of how the first stars and supermassive black holes formed.
The presentation will also include a discussion of several upcoming observatories which can test these
predictions such as the James Webb Space Telescope.
Visbal received a B.S. in physics from Carnegie Mellon University and a PhD in physics from Harvard
University. Before arriving at UT, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University and the Flatiron
Institute in New York City. Visbal is a theoretical astrophysicist who uses simulations (typically
performed on supercomputers) to understand the formation of the first stars and supermassive black holes
in the early universe. He is originally from Yellow Springs.
Registration is required and closes 12 hours before the start of the program. The Zoom link will be
emailed to all participants. Register online at waylibrary.info or by calling 419-874-3135, ext. 119.

No posts to display