How Do Supermassive Black Holes Grow? | Dr Becky

If a black hole is surrounded by matter, why does it not simply swallow everything nearby? Astrophysicist Becky Smethurst tackles that question in a Royal Institution talk about how supermassive black holes grow and how they relate to their host galaxies.

Original video: How Easy is It to Grow a Supermassive Black Hole? – with Dr Becky — The Royal Institution · 45:26 · YouTube upload: 2021-07-29. Video and preview image belong to the original creator.

Why watch this video?

The lecture replaces the familiar cosmic-vacuum-cleaner picture with a more interesting physical problem. Getting material close enough to fall in is not straightforward, and orbiting matter can remain outside. It is a clear way into the feedback between galaxies and their central black holes, and a useful foundation for reading newer discoveries from powerful telescopes.

Continue exploring: Webb’s “Black Hole Stars”: The Strange Objects That May Have Built the First Giants.