Event details

Date
July 19, 2026  – July 24, 2026
Location
Sexten Primary School - Via Panorama 6, Sexten

Scientific Rationale

The centers of galaxies are the densest stellar systems in the Universe, host Massive Black Holes (MBHs) and can contain the most extended gaseous discs around a compact object. The combinations of such extraordinary unique conditions make galactic nuclei cosmic laboratories for some of the most extreme and enigmatic phenomena in the Universe. These phenomena are often transients, and emit in electromagnetic as well as gravitational waves. A wealth of new data are expected to inform the field with the start of the observational runs this month of the optical Rubin Observatory. Galactic nuclei are also possible emission sites for the gravitational waves detected by ground based detectors and ultimately the main site for the low frequency gravitational waves that the ESA-NASa Space Mission LISA will detect in the next decade.

This workshop will focus on the astrophysical processes occurring in and around galactic nuclei, with particular attention to our own Galactic Centre in the Milky Way. Topics will include the dynamics and observational signatures of supermassive black holes, the production and trajectories of hypervelocity stars, and the mechanisms behind tidal disruption events. We will also explore extreme mass ratio inspirals (EMRIs) as key sources of low-frequency gravitational waves, their detectability with next-generation observatories, and their implications for black hole demographics. Furthermore, the workshop will delve into quasi-periodic eruptions as emerging probes of MBH accretion physics and possibly EMRI demographics. Finally, we will explore MBH formation mechanisms, and growth: models and observational constraints.

By bringing together researchers from observational, theoretical, and computational backgrounds and experts in these different fields, this workshop aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and stimulate discussion on the frontier challenges in galactic nucleus astrophysics. Held in the inspiring environment of Sexten, Italy, the program is particularly suited for graduate students, postdocs, and early-career researchers seeking deep engagement with cutting-edge topics in high-energy and gravitational astrophysics.

In summary the Workshop’s topics include (provisional);

(1) The Galactic Centre as unique laboratory to understand Galactic Nuclei in General

(2) Dynamics around MBHs of (binary) stars, (binary) stellar mass black holes and other compact objects, aiming to understand the processes that lead to Extreme mass ratio Inspirals (EMRIs), Quasi periodic Eruptions (QPEs), and formation of HyperVelocity Stars (HVSs) and Tidal Disruption Events (TDEs).

(3) The astrophysics and observations of TDEs, HVSs, QPEs, EMRIs

(4) Formation mechanisms of MBHs and their cosmic co-evolution: theory and observational constraints

(5) Structure and Demographics of the host galaxies of the above phenomena, with particular focus on the dwarf mass regime and their galactic nuclei

Organizers

Organisers: Jenny Greene (Princeton, US), Smadar Naoz (UCLA, US), Nadine Neumayer (MPIA, Heidelberg), Elena Maria Rossi (Leiden U., The Netherlands), Nicholas Stone (Madison U., US), Zoltan Haiman (IST, Austria)

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Payment details

Registration Fee
300 euro Senior - 200 euro Students
Workshop code for bus and payment
GNA26