The Central Engine of M87

威廉·朱诺博士正在进行一项为期两年的计划，以观察和分析M87星系的中心区域。他正在使用甚长基线阵列（VLBA）的偏振测量和甚长基线干涉仪（VLBI）的18cm观测数据。VLBI计划将连接VLBI卫星和VSOP/HALCA。这个VLBI项目是VSOP/HALCA关键科学项目的一部分。M87是离我们最近的活动星系，它有一个明亮的核心。目前的理论认为，在M87的中心有一个超大质量黑洞，其轨道上有一个吸积盘。有一股平行的（超过5个数量级的）水流从这个地区向外流出。朱诺博士正在追踪喷流的形态和亮度演变。哈勃望远镜的观测表明，这个星系的核心可能包含一个2 × 109太阳质量的超大质量黑洞。这些射电观测补充了正在进行的HST光学监测计划。M87是已知有光学同步加速器发射的为数不多的十个星系之一。利用VLBI偏振测量核心和射流的程序是在这个非常高分辨率的关键源上的第一个这样的程序，它将研究磁场在准直射流和射流磁场拓扑中的作用。＊＊＊

AST 98-023057 William Junor Dr. Junor is undertaking a two year program to observe and analyze the central regions of the galaxy M87. He is using polarimetry from the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), and 18cm observations from the Very Long Baseline Interferometer (VLBI) The VLBI programs will link to the VLBI satellite and VSOP/HALCA. This VLBI program is part of VSOP/HALCA's Key Science Program. M87 is the nearest active galaxy with a bright core. Current theories place a supermassive black hole with an orbiting accreting disk at the center of M87. There is a collimated (over five orders of magnitude of scale) flow outward from this region. Dr. Junor is tracking the morphological and brightness evolution of the jet. HST observations have indicated that the core of this galaxy may contain a supermassive black hole of 2 x 109 solar masses. These radio observations complement the on-going program of HST optical monitoring. M87 is one of the fewer than ten known to have optical synchrotron emission. The program with VLBI polarimetry of the core and the jet is the first such program on this key source at this very high resolution, and it will investigate both the role of the magnetic field in collimating the jet and the magnetic field topology of the jet. ***