CAREER: Probing the Demographics of Supermassive Black Holes with Time-Domain Observations of Tidal Disruption Events

职业：通过潮汐扰乱事件的时域观测探索超大质量黑洞的人口统计

• 批准号: 1454816
• 负责人: Suvi Gezari
• 金额: $ 80.8万
• 依托单位: University of Maryland, College Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-05-01 至 2021-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1454816&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Probing; Demographics; Supermassive; Black

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are not just rare and exotic; recent observations of nearby galaxies have demonstrated that SMBHs are a central component of almost all galaxies. Based on these observations, the best evidence suggests that both the SMBHs and the galaxy grow in mass over time. How does this happen? The researcher has a plan of observations that will show the connection between these central beasts (SMBHs) and their host galaxies. However the observations are difficult. Most SMBHs in the Universe are hidden from view: too distant to measure the gravitational pull on the stars by the SMBH, or too dim from the lack of gas falling onto the SMBH. The researcher plans to use optical telescopes, which look at the sky automatically and repeatedly every night, to find rare transient events: when stars pass too close to SMBHs. A 'starved' (dormant) black hole will reveal itself when an unlucky star passes close enough to be torn apart by tremendous tides expected near the SMBH. Based on the brightness of the flare, when the Tidal Disruption Event (TDE) happens, they will be able to weigh the central SMBH, estimate the black hole spin, as well as constrain the mass, radius, and internal structure of the disrupted star.The project has several major intellectual merits: 1) The researcher clearly lays out the status of measuring intermediate-mass and supermassive black hole properties with tidal disruption events and convincingly details how to find thousands of TDE candidates. 3) They plan to increase the sensitivity of Pan-STARRS 1 (PS1) Medium Deep Survey with stacking analysis and using the dataset to classify transients of all flavors is the step towards efficiently filtering observations with the new Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. 3) The researcher will help other scientists' research by sharing their machine-learning algorithms.The researcher will enhance the Maryland GRAD-MAP program, which encourages women and under-represented groups in STEM fields. She will leverage established success of GRAD-MAP in improving retention rate among physics majors at local minority serving institutions. Her previous experience in GRAD-MAP is significant. PS1 database offers a useful source of data for short research projects as part of the winter workshop. Their experience with PS1 will ensure that the use of this database is maximized. The GRAD-MAP program has evidence of success with five of seven participants following through with research programs during the summer. There is the potential to take 5 success stories and turn them into many more new success stories.

超大质量黑洞（SMBH）不仅罕见且奇特;最近对附近星系的观察表明，SMBH是几乎所有星系的中心组成部分。 基于这些观测，最好的证据表明，SMBH和星系的质量都随着时间的推移而增长。 这是怎么发生的？ 研究人员有一个观测计划，将显示这些中央野兽（SMBH）与它们的宿主星系之间的联系。然而，观察是困难的。 宇宙中的大多数SMBH都隐藏在视野之外：太远而无法测量SMBH对恒星的引力，或者太暗，因为缺乏气体落在SMBH上。研究人员计划使用光学望远镜，每天晚上自动重复观察天空，以发现罕见的瞬态事件：当恒星过于接近SMBH时。 当一颗不幸的星星足够近地经过时，一个“饥饿”（休眠）的黑洞就会显露出来，因为预计在SMBH附近会有巨大的潮汐将其撕裂。 根据耀斑的亮度，当潮汐破裂事件（TDE）发生时，他们将能够测量中心SMBH的重量，估计黑洞的自旋，以及约束被破裂的星星的质量，半径和内部结构。该项目有几个主要的智力优势：（1）研究者清楚地阐述了测量中间-质量和超大质量黑洞的性质与潮汐破坏事件，并令人信服地详细介绍了如何找到成千上万的TDE候选人。 3)他们计划通过叠加分析来提高Pan-STARRS 1（PS1）中深巡天的灵敏度，并使用数据集对所有类型的瞬变进行分类，这是使用新的大型综合巡天望远镜有效过滤观测的一步。 3)研究人员将通过分享他们的机器学习算法来帮助其他科学家的研究。研究人员将加强马里兰州GRAD-MAP计划，该计划鼓励妇女和代表性不足的群体在STEM领域。 她将利用GRAD-MAP在提高当地少数民族服务机构物理专业学生的留存率方面取得的成功。她以前在GRAD-MAP的经验是重要的。PS1数据库为作为冬季研讨会一部分的短期研究项目提供了有用的数据来源。他们在PS1方面的经验将确保最大限度地利用这一数据库。GRAD-MAP项目有证据表明，七名参与者中有五名在夏季完成了研究项目。有潜力采取5个成功的故事，并把它们变成更多的新的成功故事。