RUI: Probing the Physics of Active Galaxy Jets: High-resolution Radio Studies of a Complete Sample of Lobe-dominated Quasars and Related Radio Galaxies

RUI：探索活跃星系喷流的物理特性：对波瓣主导类星体和相关射电星系完整样本的高分辨率射电研究

• 批准号: 0098253
• 负责人: David Hough
• 金额: $ 13.8万
• 依托单位: Trinity University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-06-01 至 2005-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0098253&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Probing; Physics; Active; Galaxy

AST 0098253HoughThe principal objective of this project is to extend and expand a high-resolution radio study of active galactic nuclei (AGN) that will make major contributions to our understanding of the physics of relativistic jets in these objects and, in the process, shed light on unified models of activegalaxies. Active galaxies, including quasars and radio galaxies, most likely harbor supermassive black holes in their central regions that are ultimately responsible for the intense, episodic emission the nuclei of these galaxies exhibit. By electromagnetic processes which are still not well understood, material is accelerated in the vicinity of the black hole and channeled intojets that travel outward near the speed of light. Physical models of jets generally predict that their observed properties will strongly depend on the orientation of the jet axis to our line of sightfrom Earth. Thus to perform statistical tests of these models, extended radio sources covering a very wide range in orientation will be studied. Radio telescopes will be used to image the jets in these objects on scales from light-years up to millions of light-years; the images will be used to look for systematic trends in the jet structures as a function of orientation angle, to determine the statistical distribution of apparent faster-than-light, or "superluminal", jet speeds and to follow the trajectories of the relativistic outflows. Observations will also be used to determine physical conditions in the jets and to map their magnetic fields, Several undergraduates - from both Trinity University and the Alamo Community College District - will be direct participants in this research. This will enhance their preparation for graduate study and offer students from underrepresented groups the opportunity to do science as they consider career options in the physical sciences.Funding for this project was provided by the NSF program for Extragalactic Astronomy & Cosmology (AST/EXC).***

AST 0098253 Hough该项目的主要目标是扩展和扩大对活动星系核（AGN）的高分辨率射电研究，这将对我们理解这些物体中的相对论喷流物理学做出重大贡献，并在此过程中阐明活动星系的统一模型。活跃星系，包括类星体和射电星系，最有可能在它们的中心区域拥有超大质量黑洞，这些黑洞最终导致了这些星系核所展示的强烈的偶发性辐射。通过电磁过程，物质在黑洞附近被加速，并被引导成射流，以接近光速的速度向外传播。喷流的物理模型通常预测，它们所观测到的性质将在很大程度上取决于喷流轴线与我们地球视线的方向。因此，为了对这些模型进行统计检验，将研究覆盖非常宽的定向范围的扩展射电源。将使用射电望远镜对这些物体中的喷流进行成像，其尺度从光年到数百万光年不等;这些图像将用于寻找喷流结构随方位角变化的系统趋势，以确定表观超光速或“超光速”喷流速度的统计分布，并跟踪相对论外流的轨迹。观测结果还将用于确定喷气机的物理条件，并绘制其磁场图。来自Trinity大学和阿拉莫社区学院区的几名本科生将直接参与这项研究。这将加强他们的研究生学习的准备，并为来自代表性不足群体的学生提供做科学的机会，因为他们考虑在物理科学的职业选择。该项目的资金由NSF计划提供河外天文宇宙学（AST/EXC）。*