Princeton University Gravity Initiative Seminar

Abstract: Black holes can now be studied in two complementary ways: through the gravitational waves they emit when they ring down after a merger, and through direct imaging of the light that circles around them in the photon ring. Although these signals arise in very different observational settings, they are both shaped by the same underlying spacetime geometry near the black hole. In this talk, I will explain the connection between black hole ringdown and the photon ring, showing how each provides a different window into the dynamics of light and gravity in the strong-field region. I will also discuss how combining these approaches can sharpen our understanding of black holes and provide new probes of general relativity.