Milliarcsecond Polarization Measurements of Compact Extragalactic Radio Sources

紧凑河外射电源的毫弧秒偏振测量

• 批准号: 9122282
• 负责人: David Roberts
• 金额: $ 32.5万
• 依托单位: Brandeis University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 1992
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1992-01-15 至 1996-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9122282&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Milliarcsecond; Polarization; Measurements; Compact; Extragalactic

This award funds a study of the linear polarization of the centimeter wavelength radiation from Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) on the smallest scales. This is to be accomplished with the technique of polarization sensitive Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), whereby the linear polarization structure of compact radio sources may be determined on angular scales of milliarcseconds at multiple wavelengths. Dr. Roberts is one of the pioneers and leading investigators in VLBI polarization studies. At the distances of AGN, these small angular scales correspond to physical scales of light years. The linear polarization tells us about the magnetic field structure, radiation mechanisms, particle content, kinematics, and geometry of the radio jets produced by AGN, which will help us understand their structure and evolution. The ultimate goal of this work is to understand the mechanism which lies at the heart of AGN, currently thought to be accretion onto massive black holes.

该奖项资助对活动星系核（AGN）在最小尺度上的厘米波长辐射的线性偏振的研究。 这将通过偏振敏感甚长基线干涉测量（VLBI）技术来实现，由此可以在多个波长的毫弧秒角尺度上确定紧凑型无线电源的线性偏振结构。 罗伯茨博士是 VLBI 极化研究的先驱和主要研究者之一。 在活动星系核的距离上，这些小角度尺度对应于光年的物理尺度。 线性极化告诉我们关于活动星系核产生的射电射流的磁场结构、辐射机制、粒子含量、运动学和几何形状，这将有助于我们了解它们的结构和演化。 这项工作的最终目标是了解活动星系核的核心机制，目前认为活动星系核是大质量黑洞的吸积物。