The Black Hole Explorer: using the photon ring to visualize spacetime around the black hole

Peter Galison; Michael D. Johnson; Alexandru Lupsasca; Trevor Gravely; Roman Berens

doi:10.1117/12.3019994

23 August 2024 The Black Hole Explorer: using the photon ring to visualize spacetime around the black hole

Peter Galison, Michael D. Johnson, Alexandru Lupsasca, Trevor Gravely, Roman Berens

Proceedings Volume 13092, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave; 130926R (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3019994
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2024, Yokohama, Japan

Conference Poster

Abstract

The Black Hole Explorer (BHEX), is an orbiting, multi-band, millimeter radio-telescope, in hybrid combination with millimeter terrestrial radio-telescopes, designed to discover and measure the thin photon ring around the supermassive black holes M87* and Sgr A*. In order to guide the mission design for the BHEX instruments, this paper explores various aspects of the photon ring, like the spin-induced changes to its shape, or the intricate flow of light around a spinning black hole, by tracking, through visual simulations, photons as they course along geodesics. Ultimately, the aim of these visualizations is to advance the foundational aims of the EHE instrument, and through this experiment to articulate spacetime geometry via the photon ring.

(2024) Published by SPIE. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Citation Download Citation

Peter Galison, Michael D. Johnson, Alexandru Lupsasca, Trevor Gravely, and Roman Berens "The Black Hole Explorer: using the photon ring to visualize spacetime around the black hole", Proc. SPIE 13092, Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2024: Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Wave, 130926R (23 August 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3019994

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available