Multiwavelength Studies of the Physics and Origins of Compact Objects

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AST-0507547Eikenberry, StephenUniversity of FloridaMultiwavelength Studies of the Physics and Origins of Compact ObjectsABSTRACTA multiwavelength observing campaign will be undertaken focused on microquasarsand the origins of compact objects in our Galaxy and beyond. The goal is to betterunderstand the relativistic jets from such systems - both how they form and evolve.Specific project goals are:1) The magnetic bomb model will be further developed and extended based on themicroquasar GRS 1915+105. Many multi-wavelength aspects (X-ray, infrared, andradio light curves, spectral evolution, quasi periodic oscillations, etc.) will beincorporated and tested.2) New infrared spectroscopy, photometry, and polarimitry will be obtained with TheGran Telescopio and The Canarias Infrared Camera Experiment imager (first lightexpected in Oct. 2005). These high time resolution observations will concentrate onGRS 1915+105, but also include other microquasars. The new observations willfurther constrain the models.3) Near IR-photometry with the Kitt Peak National Observatory 4-meter telescope andthe Florida image slicer for infrared cosmology and astrophysics imagingspectrograph will be used to explore the environments of microquasars and possibleinteractions, including possible termination shocks.4) A search for new microquasar systems will be undertaken using Chandra X-rayarchive observations combined with Two Micron All Sky Survey data. Possiblecandidates will be confirmed using infrared spectroscopy from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and Gemini. An extension of the search to use The Florida MultiobjectImaging Near-IR Grism Observational Spectrometer-2 to obtain spectra of~5000 infrared sources near the Galactic center is also planned. Some 200-300 newX-ray binaries are expected to be found, doubling the number of known systems.5) The origins of microquasars/compact objects will also be explored through searchesfor extragalactic X-ray binaries (particularly in starburst galaxies) which can in turnbe correlated with properties of their parent clusters (age, metallicity, mass function,etc.) to better understand the origins of compact objects.