Dr. Xian Chen's research interest focus on high-energy and relativistic astrophysics, in particular the formation and merger history of supermassive black holes, which are discovered in the centers of local galaxies and high-redshift quasars. He uses tidal flares, the electromagnetic outbursts during the tidal disruptions of stars by supermassive black holes, to probe and localize binary supermassive black holes in galaxy centers. Detecting the gravitational waves from these binary black hole systems are the major goals of the Pulsar Timing Array and eLISA projects.
