Astrophysics Colloquium The Dynamics and Multi-messenger Signatures of Supermassive Black Hole Evolution Presented by Laura Blecha University of Florida Thursday, October 8, 2020 11:00 A.M. in Virtual Event and on Webex Abstract Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are of great interest both as critical components in galaxy evolution and as the dominant sources of low-frequency gravitational waves (GWs). I will present recent work using galactic- to cosmological-scale hydrodynamics simulations to quantify the role of galaxy mergers in SMBH fueling. I will also describe recent progress in constraining the dynamics and multi-messenger signatures of BH pairs, binaries, and GW recoils, utilizing results from simulations coupled with SMBH binary inspiral and spin evolution models. Electromagnetic detections of such systems in the coming years will be crucial counterparts for the likely imminent detection of GWs by pulsar timing arrays, and they will provide key constraints on LISA event rates. I will conclude by describing ongoing work to constrain the formation of SMBH "seeds" in the early Universe, and the impact of various formation channels on the LISA source population. JPL Contacts: Daniel Stern and Joe Lazio   Site Manager: Webmaster: CL 08-3220