Event details

Date
March 2, 2026  – March 6, 2026
Location
Sport & Kurhotel at Bad Moos - Via Val Fiscalina 27, 39030, Sexten
BUS RESERVATION IS OPEN

Scientific Rationale

The origin and growth of the massive black holes (MBHs) remain open questions in astrophysics, with implications for our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. Recent advances in observational techniques, e.g. JWST observations of high-redshift quasars or the detection of the so-called Little Red Dots, challenge existing models by revealing luminous quasars within the first few hundred million years of cosmic history. We therefore need to examine the connection between MBHs and their host galaxies, to assess whether the observed MBH-host correlations at lower redshift were already in place at early times or offer clues to early MBH assembly.

The  workshop to explore the primary formation pathways of MBHs, including direct collapse, Population III remnants and dynamical processes in dense stellar environments. We will also discuss the relative roles of accretion and mergers in black hole growth, highlighting different accretion regimes and their potential observational signatures. The detection of the stochastic low-frequency gravitational wave background by pulsar timing arrays and the advent of future space-based observatories such as LISA provides a new window into this process, complementing electromagnetic observations across cosmic time with the detection of gravitational waves coming from massive black hole binary mergers.

The workshop will bring together experts on multi-wavelength observations, theoretical models and numerical simulations, creating the perfect environment to tackle the unsolved astrophysical problems of MBHs evolution. We will foster discussions and stimulate new collaborations, eventually shedding light on the physical mechanisms governing MBH assembly and their role in shaping the evolution of galaxies.

List of specific topics:

  • Assembly of the first massive black holes.
  • Growth of black holes by mergers and accretion (accretion regimes and potential signatures).
  • Gravitational-wave and electromagnetic signatures of merging black holes.
  • Relation between massive black holes and their hosts.
  • Recent (JWST) observations of high-redshift quasars.
Bus Reservation
Bus reservation is now open.

Organizers

Scientific Organising Committee

Alessia Franchini (Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy)
Zoltan Haiman (Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Austria)
Alessandro Lupi (Como Lake Center for Astrophysics, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Italy)

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Payment details

Registration Fee
350 EUR (the social dinner for people not staying at the Bad Moos is not included)
Workshop code for bus and payment
CCP26