![]() ![]() Each pixel of the image captured by the camera is associated to a light ray, whose motion through space is governed by a set of equations. How do you do this?įor our simulation we treat the observer as a camera. Our goal with this project is to generate such black hole shadow templates for a variety of interesting black hole solutions. An observation of the galactic core which reveals a shadow will signal the existence of a black hole, and moreover the precise shape of the shadow can be matched against templates to discriminate between different candidate black hole solutions. The objective with this approach is to resolve the 'shadow' that the event horizon of a black hole - should there be one - casts due to the strong bending of light by its gravitational field. An experiment exploring another direct detection approach, associated with optically (at radio wavelengths) resolving the near-horizon region of the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, is now online called the Event Horizon Telescope. However until recently there has been only indirect experimental evidence supporting their existence the exception being the remarkable direct detection of gravitational waves from a merger of two black holes. Why do we care?īlack holes are predicted to be the endpoint of the evolution of sufficiently massive stars. The net result is the appearance of a region of darkness - as though the black hole cast a shadow - and a curiously distorted image of the background celestial sphere around the black hole. And other light rays that would have reached the observer will follow trajectories that fall into the black hole. Some light rays that would not otherwise reach the observer are now lensed towards them. ![]() If we now introduce a black hole, the image of the celestial sphere seen by the observer will be modified in a couple of ways. As a result the observer will see whatever portion of the celestial sphere is directly ahead of them. In the absence of a black hole, or other source of gravity, the light rays emitted from the celestial sphere will travel along straight lines. ![]() In these panoramas we simulate the perspective of an observer that is looking out at a distant, luminous, celestial sphere. These deflections are slight in most astrophysical scenarios, but they can be dramatic when caused by compact massive objects like black holes. The trajectory of a light ray passing by any distribution of mass will be deflected, an effect referred to as gravitational lensing. ![]()
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