Investigations of Black Holes, Neutron Stars, and Accretion Physics with High-Resolution Infrared Spectroscopy

用高分辨率红外光谱研究黑洞、中子星和吸积物理

• 批准号: 1109152
• 负责人: Ronald Remillard
• 金额: $ 23万
• 依托单位: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-07-01 至 2013-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1109152&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Investigations; Black; Holes; Neutron; Stars

This award will fund a new study to determine the masses of black holes in binary systems. Using the new NSF-funded infrared FIRE (Folded-port InfraRed Echellette) spectrograph at the Magellan Observatory in Chile, Dr. Remillard and his team will measure the radial velocities and rotational line-broadening for the companions to a number of black holes. Infrared observations are more useful than those at visible wavelengths, since there is much less extinction from dust and where the weakest companion stars radiate most strongly. The goals of the project are (1) to obtain new measurements of black hole masses; (2) to make mass measurements for accreting neutron stars; and (3) to conduct a long-term study of GRS 1915+105, which is unique for its variability, high luminosity, and productivity in producing jets. Mass measurements anchor general efforts to infer black hole spin values via X-ray observations. Values of mass and spin are primary inputs for theorists working on stellar evolution of massive stars, supernovae, hypernovae, and binary evolution. Inferences of BH mass and spin will energize the general effort to develop quantitative applications of general relativity in the strong gravity regime.

该奖项将资助一项新的研究，以确定双星系统中黑洞的质量。 使用智利麦哲伦天文台新的NSF资助的红外FIRE（折叠端口红色Echellette）光谱仪，Remillard博士和他的团队将测量一些黑洞同伴的径向速度和旋转线加宽。 红外线观测比可见光波段的观测更有用，因为尘埃的消光要少得多，而且最弱的伴星辐射最强烈。 该项目的目标是：（1）获得黑洞质量的新测量结果;（2）对吸积中子星进行质量测量;（3）对GRS 1915+105进行长期研究，这是一个独特的可变性，高亮度和产生喷流的生产力。质量测量锚一般努力推断黑洞自旋值通过X射线观测。质量和自旋的值是研究大质量恒星、超新星、超超新星和双星演化的理论家的主要输入。BH的质量和自旋的推论将激励一般的努力，发展定量应用广义相对论在强引力制度。