Massive Black Holes in the First Billion Years

The Trident Hotel, Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland / 29 April - 3 May 2024

Conference Abstract/Motivation

We are on the cusp of significant advancements to our understanding of the origins and early growth of massive black holes with current and near-future electromagnetic observations by JWST and other upcoming missions which will be complemented by gravitational wave detections with LISA in the coming decade. The focus of this conference is on recent advancements in both observations and theory on the origin, growth and dynamics of MBHs in the early Universe.  Follow the pre-registration link above to let us know you are interested and you will receive an email when abstract submission is open!

Topics of interest:

• Observations and predicted properties of AGN and their hosts at early times
• Constraining MBH formation mechanisms with multimessenger observations at low and high redshift
• Predictions for MBH seed masses from low redshift observations of dwarf galaxies
• Challenges (both theoretical and observational) to observing and interpreting data on early MBHs
• MBH-galaxy co-evolution and feedback in the early universe
• Dynamics of MBHs and MBH binaries in the early Universe
• How can we connect current and near-future E-M observations to future GW detections to do astrophysics?
• Understanding the environment of high redshift MBHs and AGN and how it affects their early evolution

Confirmed Invited Speakers: 

- Vivienne Baldassare (Washington State)

- Ricarda Beckmann (Cambridge/Maynooth)

- Pratika Dayal (Kapteyn)

- Andy Goulding (Princeton)

- Rebecca Larson (RIT)

- Priya Natarajan (Yale)

- Jan Scholtz (Cambridge)

- Alberto Sesana (Milan)

- John Wise (Georgia Tech)

To be confirmed: 

- Zoltan Haiman (Columbia)

*Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland - Photo Credit: Discover Ireland