CAREER: Multiwavelength Studies of Microquasars

银河系相对论性喷流源——“微类星体”的多波长研究将被开展。这项研究的总体目标是了解黑洞x射线双星中相对论性喷流的起源、形成和演化。通过这些研究获得的知识将用于了解我们银河系中的黑洞/相对论射流系统以及它们在活动星系核中的较大类似物。这项研究建立在之前对微类星体GRS +105和其他候选微类星体的x射线和红外（IR）研究的基础上。将要开展的科学工作的重点包括：GRS 1915-105微类星体中相对论性喷流形成的协调x射线、红外和射电观测：先前对该天体的协调x射线/红外/射电观测提供了任何系统中相对论性喷流形成的第一次直接的、时间分辨的观测。这些和其他的观测也表明，GRS 1915+105表现出许多不同的产生射流和不产生射流的行为状态。观测活动将有助于对这些状态进行分类，并了解形成相对论性喷流所需的物理条件。协调x射线、光学、红外和射电观测其他银河系相对活动性喷流源：这些观测将包括天文源GRO J1655-40、Cyg X-3、XTE J1748-288、SS 433、CI Cam和LSI +61 303。将这些天体的观测数据与GRS 1915+105的观测数据进行比较，将有助于深入了解银河系x射线双星中相对论性喷流的起源和性质。利用康奈尔大学的0.6米望远镜和一台新的红外阵列相机对微类星体进行长期红外监测：这种以前不可能实现的监测，将允许测量红外耀斑的二元周期和复发时间尺度。本科生将在夏季开展这项工作，研究结果将在学年期间纳入现有的本科生天文学实验课。开发和实施识别新微类星体系统的策略：这项工作将包括研究lE 1740-29和GRS 1758-258的候选红外对应物，这两个微类星体是利用凯克10米望远镜的深红外图像发现的。教育工作将包括对本科生和研究生的培训。此外，将为5 -7年级学生开发和实施实验课程，强调测量对科学过程的基本重要性。主要特点包括：与伊萨卡市学区（ICSD）合作开发与当前天文学研究相关的基本实践实验。目标是帮助回答“我们如何知道我们对宇宙的了解？”ICSD教师将“实地测试”实验，并使用结果来完善实验。与剑桥公立学校合作，开发西班牙语版本的实验室和网络材料，供双语教室使用。在剑桥进行的西班牙语版本的实地测试也将用于改进实验。这一组成部分将为向历来代表性不足的讲西班牙语的儿童伸出援手提供重要手段。开发基于网络的资源，使学生/教师能够探索他们的实验结果与在天体物理学前沿工作的研究人员的结果之间的关系。将来，这些资源将通过互联网在全国范围内提供给英语和西班牙语教室。天文科学司为这个项目提供支持

AST-9983830EIKENBERRYMultiwavelength studies of the Galactic relativistic jet sources -- the "microquasars" will be carried out. The overall goal of the research is to understand the origin, formation, and evolution of relativistic jets in black hole X-ray binaries. The knowledge gained by these studies will be used to understand black-hole/relativistic-jet systems in our Galaxy and their larger analogs in active galactic nuclei. This research builds on previous work on X-ray and infrared (IR,) studies of the microquasar GRS +105 and other microquasar candidates. Highlights of the scientific work to be carried out include:Coordinated X-ray, IR, and radio observations of relativistic jet formation in the microquasar GRS 1915-105: The previous coordinated X-ray/IR/radio observations of this object provided the first direct, tine-resolved observations of relativistic jet formation in any system. These and other observations have also shown that GRS 1915+105 exhibits many different states of jet-producing and non-jet-producing behaviors. The observational campaigns will help to classify these states and understand the physical conditions necessary for the formation of relativistic jets.Coordinated x-ray, optical, IR, and radio observations of other Galactic rela-tivistic jet sources: These observations will include the astronomical sources GRO J1655-40, Cyg X-3, XTE J1748-288, SS 433, CI Cam, and LSI +61 303. The comparison of the observational data between these objects and with GRS 1915+105 will provide insights into the origin and nature of relativistic jets in Galactic X-ray binaries.Long-term IR monitoring of microquasars using Cornell's 0.6-m telescope and a new IR array camera: This type of monitoring, which has not been possible previously, will allow measurement of binary periods and recurrence timescales of IR flaring. Undergraduate students will carry out this work in the summer months and results of the research will be incorporated into the existing undergraduate astronomy laboratory classes during the academic year.Development and implementation of strategies for identifying new microquasar systems: This effort will include the study of candidate IR counterparts for the microquasars lE 1740-29 and GRS 1758-258, which were discovered using deep IR images from the Keck 10-m telescopes.The educational effort will include the training of undergraduate and graduate students. In addition, a laboratory curriculum will be developed and implemented for 5th-7th grade students, which emphasizes the fundamental importance of measurement to the scientific process. Key features include:Collaboration with the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) to develop basic hands- on experiments with links to current astronomical research. The goal is to help answer the question "How do we know what we know about the Universe?" The ICSD teachers will "field-test" the experiments and the results will be used to refine the experiments.Collaboration with the Cambridge Public Schools to develop a Spanish-language version of the laboratory and Web materials for use in bilingual classrooms. Field-testing of the Spanish version in Cambridge will also be used to refine the experiments. This component will provide an important means for outreach to historically underrepresented Spanish-speaking children.Development of Web-based resources which will allow students/teachers to explore the relationship between the results of their experiments and those of researchers working at the forefront of astrophysics. In the future, the resources will be made available nationwide to both English- and Spanish-speaking classrooms via the Internet.The Division of Astronomical Sciences provides support for this project.***