Event Details

The population of massive black holes at the centers of nearby low-mass galaxies provides some of the best observational constraints on the masses of “black hole seeds” at high redshift. Furthermore, while massive black holes are ubiquitous and well-studied in Milky Way-sized and larger galaxies, relatively little is known about the population or properties of those in smaller galaxies. I will discuss recent observational efforts to find accreting massive black holes in low-mass galaxies via an array of multiwavelength techniques, concentrating on searches using optical spectroscopy and optical photometric variability. I will also describe the multi-wavelength properties of active galactic nuclei in low-mass galaxies and discuss how they compare to more massive systems. Finally, I will discuss the properties of the active dwarf galaxy RGG 118, host to the smallest reported nuclear black hole.

Video Recording