Thursday, March 28, 2024


Milky Way black hole's magnetic field mapped for the first time

Fiery orange red swirls represent the magnetic field of the Sagittarius A black hole.

Long-held theories on how black holes like the one at the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way, evolve were proven right this week thanks to research made possible by Canadian scientists. 

A team of researchers from the University of Waterloo and Perimeter Institute who are members of the global Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration, developed a powerful framework called THEMIS that processes the EHT data, generating clear and accurate images that cut through noise and identify what really exists just outside the black hole. 

While the first photos of the Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) black hole were unveiled in 2022, the new images revealed its plasma ring, but also the magnetic field lines that shape and organize it.  

“Sgr A* is like a frenetic toddler,” said Dr. Avery Broderick, a professor at the University of Waterloo’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and associate faculty at Perimeter Institute. “We’re seeing for the first time the invisible structure that shepherds the material within the black hole’s disk and drives plasma to the event horizon, helping it to grow.” 

Side-by-side comparison of the magnetic fields around the black hole at the centre of the M87 galaxy (left) and the Sgr A* black hole at the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way.

Side-by-side comparison of the magnetic fields around the black hole at the centre of the M87 galaxy (left) and the Sgr A* black hole at the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way. 

THEMIS – led by Broderick and his team – assessed the credibility of any given image of the black hole by providing a reliable statistical method for studying the information Sgr A* sends us from across the galaxy. It also can image black holes like Sgr A* even though they refuse to sit still thanks to swirling plasma, which is constantly churning away over short timescales.  

That can be modelled by THEMIS to provide an estimate for the “noise” in the data, which can be averaged out to produce a clear, time-averaged image of Sgr A* in spite of its rapid variability. 

The researchers’ results reveal strong polarization patterns in the signals that Sgr A* emits. Polarization – a property describing the orientation of light wave oscillations – is the same principle that sunglasses use to eliminate glare in multiple directions. By measuring the polarization, scientists are able to measure the structure and strength of Sgr A*’s magnetic fields. 

“The polarized light we see from Sgr A* is striking,” Broderick said. “Not only is it highly polarized, at three times more polarization than the black hole at the centre of the M87 galaxy, but it’s also highly organized. This new image limits the density of the plasma orbiting Sgr A* and reveals the magnetic fields that govern its fate.” 

According to astronomers’ best models of black hole evolution, the magnetic fields in the accretion disk need to be strong enough to push the accreting plasma around. The new results from Sgr A* (and those from its much larger cousin M87* previously) provide the first direct observational evidence to support those models.  

This new research marks a milestone in black hole astronomy, helping to tell the story of black hole evolution and bring the unruly core of our galactic neighbourhood into sharp focus.

This research was presented in two papers by the EHT collaboration published on Wednesday, March 27 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters: "First Sagittarius A* Event Horizon Telescope Results. VII. Polarization of the Ring" and "First Sagittarius A* Event Horizon Telescope Results. VIII. Physical Interpretation of the Polarized Ring". 

It was a warm welcome at the EDI-RO open house

A message from the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDI-RO).

Artwork in the EDI-RO office in East Campus 5, along with beverages to sample.The Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDI-RO) hosted a Warm Welcome Open House on March 20. The event provided an opportunity for staff and faculty to connect with the EDI-RO unit to discuss the impactful work that's helping to shape our campus community, including inclusive washrooms, training opportunities and upcoming projects related to equity.

Staff and faculty were also invited to sample and guess the origins of a variety of beverages from across the globe. From refreshing Laban Ayran originating in Turkey to the flavourful Horchata from El Salvador, there was no shortage of excitement for taste buds! 

Stay tuned for more opportunities to learn about the EDI-RO unit.

Disclosure: $100,000 salaries for 2023

The sun peeks out from behind the Dana Porter library in a winter setting.

The University of Waterloo has released a list of the  2,139 employees who were paid more than $100,000 in 2023. 

Public-sector employers in Ontario are required to  publish  the list  every March since the  Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act  was passed in 1996. Other universities, school boards, hospitals, colleges, municipalities, and the government itself are now making similar information for last year public. 

The $100,000 list includes most of Waterloo's professors, and a number of staff members and senior administrators. It includes people employed by Conrad Grebel University College, Renison University College, and United College. St. Jerome’s University reports its salary disclosure list separately. 

In addition to the employment earnings during the calendar year, a figure is given for taxable benefits received by each individual, for such extras as employer-paid life insurance. 

Last year's salary disclosure  is also available online. 

What's open and closed on campus for the long weekend; other notes

Easter weekend is upon us, with the Good Friday statutory holiday set for tomorrow. Good Friday is part of the Easter observance (also known as Pascha outside the English-speaking world), when Christians around the world mark the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Other celebratory traditions have become part of the broader cultural landscape such as the Easter Bunny, egg-painting, and, of course, all the chocolate you can handle. I prefer mine in Cadbury mini-egg form, personally.

There are some operational changes for the statutory holiday, including first and foremost a slightly early payday today for employees on the monthly payroll. Other changes to note include:

  • All W Store, W Store Essentials and W Print locations will be closed on Friday, March 29 for Good Friday. All locations will re-open for regular business hours starting Monday, April 1 (no fooling!)
  • Most Food Services operations will be closed on Good Friday, with the exceptions of The Market at UWP (open from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.), Mudie's in Village One 1 (open 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.) and REVelation in Ron Eydt Village (open 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.) Visit the Food Services locations and hours page for more details.
  • Athletics facilities are closed on Friday, March 29.
  • The Dana Porter Library and Davis Centre libraries will both be open from 12 noon to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 29. Check the Library's operating hours page for more details.
  • The Student Life Centre (SLC) and the Turnkey Desk will be open throughout the long weekend.

The tri-colour trans flag.In addition to Sunday, March 31 being Easter Sunday this year, the 31st is also International Transgender Day of Visibility, a day where the University recognizes trans students, faculty and staff, trans scholars, artists, and community members and their contributions to life in Canada. The Glow Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity has an online repository of trans resources, and the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism has collected resources including Your Journey: A Career Guide for Trans and Nonbinary Students, which was created by the University of Toronto to help provide career support for trans and nonbinary students.

Take the Library User Survey

There's still time to fill out the Library's User Survey. The Library asks: how satisfied are you with the services, resources and expertise provided by the Library and which ones are most important to you in reaching your goals?  

The survey will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete, and participants can choose to enter a draw for one (1) $100 CAD W Store physical gift card (on-campus pickup only), or $100 CAD added to your WatCard. Participation is voluntary and confidential.  

If you’re interested in sharing your feedback, please fill out the Library’s user survey before Monday, April 1. 

Link of the day

25 years ago: The Matrix

When and Where

The Student Health Pharmacy (located in the lower level of the Student Life Centre) is offering flu shots with no appointments needed daily from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Call 519-746-4500 or extension 33784 for more info. COVID shots will be available on appointment basis only. You can register online at studenthealthpharmacy.ca.

Waterloo Warriors Youth Camps. Winter, March Break and PD Day camps available for boys and girls ages 5-18. Baseball, Basketball, Football and Multi-Sport and Games camps available. Register today!

Warriors Youth Summer Camps. Basketball, Baseball, Football, Hockey, Multi-Sport and Volleyball. Register today!

WatSPEED presents Leadership, Data, and AI: Insights from Chief Statistician of Canada Anil Arora, Thursday, March 28, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m.

Equity and Mental Health Literacy, Thursday, March 28, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Balinese Percussion Ensemble Concert, Thursday, March 28, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Hagey Hall.

Good Friday holiday, Friday, March 29, most University operations closed.

Chemistry Seminar featuring Dr. Erin Johnson, Professor, Herzberg-Becke Chair in Theoretical Chemistry, Dalhousie University, “London dispersion in density-functional theory and application to molecular crystal structure prediction,” Tuesday, April 2, 2:30 p.m., C2-361 Reading Room. 

Future Cities Institute launch, Wednesday, April 3, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., Federation Hall.

NEW - Trans Campus Community Corner, Wednesday, April 3, 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., East Campus 5 4th floor – EDI-RO office. Register today.

Global Engagement Seminar 2024 Desmarais Family Summit, Wednesday, April 3, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., United College Alumni Hall (UTD 201).

CrySP Speaker Series on Privacy featuring Kathrin Hövelmanns, Eindhoven University of Technology, “Fujisaki-Okamoto — a recipe for post-quantum public key encryption,” Wednesday, April 3, 2:00 p.m., MC 5501 and Zoom.

Research Impact Canada’s Dr. RIC, featuring presentations and perspectives from two of the funders in the RIC network: The Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans, and the Weston Family Foundation, Wednesday, April 3, 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Please contact Nadine Quehl to register.

Home Routes folk concert: Crys Matthews, Wednesday, April 3, 7:00 p.m., Brubacher House, North Campus. 

Waterloo RoboHub Spring Symposium, Thursday, April 4, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Engineering 7.

Waterloo RoboHub Spring Career Fair, Friday, April 5, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Engineering 7.

Pivot-RP virtual training workshop for faculty members, postdocs and graduate students, Friday, April 5, 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., MS Teams. Please register to participate in the workshop.

Chamber Choir Concert: In the Night We Shall Go In, Friday, April 5, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Kitchener. Tickets are $5 students/$10 general admission.

Equitable Recruitment and Selection, Monday, April 8, 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., online.

University Senate meeting, Monday, April 8, 3:30 p.m., NH 3407 and online.

Planning your research trajectory: Strategies for Success for researchers in the first three years of a tenure-track appointment, Wednesday, April 10, 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon, J.R. Coutts Engineering Lecture Hall – RCH 301. Please register to attend.

Map the System Campus Finals, Wednesday, April 10, 12 noon to 2:00 p.m., GreenHouse space, United College. Register now.

Board of Governors meeting, Tuesday, April 16, 1:30 p.m., NH 3407 and Zoom.

IQC Public Lecture featuring Dr. Rajibul Islam, “Open Quantum Computing, One Atom at a Time,” Wednesday, April 17, 7:00 p.m., QNC 0101.

NEW - The Foundation: Building Inclusive Research Teams, Thursday, April 18, 10:00 a.m. to 11: 00 a.m. Register here.

NEW Games Institute (GI) research symposium, “Disrupting Disciplinary Divides for Digital Futures”, Friday April 19, East Campus 1.

NEW - 2SLGBTQIA+ Fundamentals for Faculty and Staff, Thursday, April 25, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

PhD oral defences

Computer Science. Shaokai Wang, "Deep Learning Methods for Novel Peptide Discovering and Function Prediction." Supervisor, Dr. Bin Ma. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Thursday, April 11, 9:00 a.m.

Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering. Prasannaah Hadagali, "Assessing the Tissue-Level Response and the Risk of Neck Pain in Rotary-Wing Aircrew using a Finite Element Model of the Neck." Supervisor, Dr. Duane Cronin. Thesis available on SharePoint. Email eng.phd@uwaterloo.ca to request a viewing link. Oral defence Friday, April 12, 9:00 a.m., EC4 1104.

Systems Design Engineering. Andrew Hryniowski, "A Representational Response Analysis Framework For Convolutional Neural Networks." Supervisor, Dr. Alexander Wong. Thesis available on SharePoint. Email eng.phd@uwaterloo.ca to request a viewing link. Oral defence Friday, April 12, 9:30 a.m., EC4 2101.

Statistics and Actuarial Science. Jie Jian, "Edge Estimation and Community Detection in Time- varying Networks." Supervisors, Dr. Peijun Sang, Dr. Mu Zhu. Thesis available from MGO - mgo@uwaterloo.ca. Oral defence Friday, April 12, 1:00 p.m.