X-ray Insights into Black Hole Accetion and Ejection

Relativistic jets and accretion disk winds can potentially have major impacts on black hole host environments.  The study of these flows can also reveal fundamental aspets of disk accretion.  X-rays probe the region closest to black holes, and may be best suited to the study of outflows near to their launching regions.  Building on many years of high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy, and with an eye toward even higher resolution with Astro-H, efforts are now being made to summarize what is known and to push the boundaries of current data.  In this talk, I will review recent results, including evidence of baryonic jets, global regulation of black hole outflows, evidence of "ultra-fast outflows", and discuss new evidence that winds may originate closer to the black hole and play a larger role in feedback than previously thought.  Where possible, I will share simulated Astro-H spectra and explain how this mission can be transformative.

Speaker: Jon Miller, Univ. of Michigan