Multi-Wavelength Studies of Compact Objects: Physics, Populations, and Origins

该项目的总体目标是了解黑洞x射线双星的物理、种群和起源——特别是那些被称为“微类星体”的系统——以及导致其中一些黑洞形成相对论性喷流的物理条件/过程。虽然天文学家研究黑洞系统的相对论性喷流已经有几十年了，但加速和准直这种喷流以接近光速冲出黑洞势能井的机制的细节仍然是一个谜。这里采用的科学路径采用多波长研究致密物体（特别是微类星体）的物理学，以及我们银河系内外致密物体的数量和起源。随着最近在银河系中心发现的2000多个新的x射线源的增加，有机会扩大一般吸积致密物体的样本量，特别是黑洞双星，通过一个数量级，使使用人口统计来限制甚至罕见的x射线双星（如微类星体）的起源和演化。此外，现在有可能研究这些系统形成的环境，检查x射线双星和它们的环境之间的反馈过程。这种对单个来源的详细研究和通过人口研究对其起源和特性的更广泛调查的结合，为解决这两个问题提供了一种强有力的协同方法。为此，几个项目将由博士进行。包括在双子座南的火烈鸟-2上使用13个晚上的保证时间来搜索新的微类星体和其他紧凑系统。由此产生的大约2000个候选红外光谱与银河系中心的新x射线源相对应，预计将产生200到300个具有紧凑天体次级的新双星。这项工作还包括利用UKIDSS银河平面测量的数据开发银河系中心的红外消光图（这将是准确地红化-纠正用flamingo -2观测到的恒星的光度测定所必需的）。将对候选黑洞GRS1915+105进行多波长研究，并用于发展/完善艾肯伯里博士的相对论射流形成的“磁弹”模型及其与吸积喷射不稳定性模型的关系。艾肯伯里博士在年轻星团中寻找x射线源的多波长项目也将继续进行（在这个项目中，星团的性质被用来约束前体的特征）。该计划将为参与该项目的四名研究生提供教育和培训。该项目还将支持在少数民族人口众多的地方一级公立学校开展一项正在进行的实践推广计划。

The overall goal of this project is to understand the physics, populations and origins of black hole X-ray binaries - particularly those systems known as "microquasars" - and the physical conditions/processes which lead to the formation of relativistic jets in some of them. While astronomers have studied relativistic outflows from black hole systems for several decades, the details of the mechanism which accelerates and collimates such a jet at nearly the speed of light out of the black hole potential well remains a mystery. The scientific path taken here employs multi-wavelength studies of the physics of compact objects (particularly microquasars) and the populations and origins of compact objects in our Galaxy and beyond. With the addition of more than 2000 new X-ray sources recently discovered in the Galactic Center there is an opportunity to expand the sample size of accreting compact objects in general, and black hole binaries in particular, by an order of magnitude, enabling the use of population statistics to constrain the origin and evolution of even rare classes of X-ray binary such as microquasars. Furthermore, it is now possible to study the environment in which many of these systems form, to examine the feedback process between X-ray binaries and their environment. This combination of both detailed studies of individual sources and broader investigation of their origins and properties via population studies provides a powerful synergistic approach to addressing both problems. Towards this end, several programs will be carried out by Drs. Eikenberry and Bandyopadhyay, including a search for new microquasars and other compact systems using 13 nights of guaranteed time with FLAMINGOS-2 on Gemini South. The resulting spectra of approximately 2000 candidate infrared counterparts to new X-ray sources in the Galactic center are expected to yield between 200 to 300 new binaries with compact object secondaries. Also included in this work will be the development of an infrared extinction map of the Galactic center using data from the UKIDSS Galactic Plane Survey (which will be necessary to accurately reddening-correct the photometry of stars observed with FLAMINGOS-2). Multiwavelength studies of the black hole candidate GRS1915+105 will be carried out and used to develop/refine Dr. Eikenberry's "magnetic bomb" model of relativistic jet formation and its relation to the Accretion Ejection Instability model. Dr. Eikenberry's multi-wavelength program to find X-ray sources in young clusters (in which the cluster properties are used to constrain the progenitor characteristics) will also be continued.This program will enable the education and training of four graduate students who will be involved in the project. The project will also support an ongoing hands-on outreach program at local Title 1 public schools with large minority populations.