Institute for Advanced Study Astrophysics Seminar

Telltale signs of quiescent black holes include sharp spikes in the galaxy's light profile and the presence of stars that are moving anomalously fast near the galaxy's center. A black hole captures all stars within a critical radius, and a star that approaches the hole at small angles enters the tidal radius where it is torn apart. Stellar disruption may have interesting consequences in nearby galaxies if a moderately massive black hole lurks there.