Computing an Image of Objects Hiding Behind a Black Hole

Author Information

Shanon Harding

Abstract/Description

Gravitational lensing is the bending of light rays around a black hole. The goal of this project was to produce a computer code that would model light rays coming from a grid of objects set behind a rotating black hole. Using these light rays, we produced an image illustrating how this background of objects would appear to an observer on Earth. This was done by creating a MATLAB code to model the paths of multiple light rays at a time. This code was then used to help check and correct a C++ code that produced an image. Over the semester, we have worked to successfully increase the accuracy of the final image by fine-tuning our C++ code.

Note on the Author

Shannon Harding (she/her) is a 2024 graduate with a double major in Physics and Mathematics. She began her research with Dr. Thomas Kling (Department of Physics, Photonics, and Optical Engineering) in the summer of 2022 after earning the NASA Space Grant. Shannon presented this research at the 2023 Student Arts and Research Symposium (StARS) and completed her honors thesis in the following fall semester. In the fall of 2024, Shannon is excited to begin working toward earning her PhD in Physics.

Recommended Citation

Harding, Shanon (2024). Computing an Image of Objects Hiding Behind a Black Hole. Undergraduate Review, 18, 18-33.
Available at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/undergrad_rev/vol18/iss1/6

Rights Statement

Articles published in The Undergraduate Review are the property of the individual contributors and may not be reprinted, reformatted, repurposed or duplicated, without the contributor’s consent.