Tackling Galaxy/Black Hole Coevolution Using Improved Galaxy Merger Identifications

使用改进的星系合并识别来解决星系/黑洞协同演化问题

• 批准号: 1714503
• 负责人: Julia Comerford
• 金额: $ 55.16万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-07-01 至 2021-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1714503&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Tackling; Galaxy; Black; Hole; Coevolution

Active galactic nuclei (AGN) are compact regions at the centers of galaxies that are much brighter than would be expected if they were composed merely of stars. The radiation from an AGN is thought to be due to matter falling into a super-massive black hole (SMBH), perhaps due to the merger of two galaxies. The team will use telescopes to break down light into its component colors to identify and classify merging galaxies that might contain SMBH. They will use computers to make models of simulated merging galaxies for comparison. Finally, they will apply their results to 10,000 galaxies in a sky survey to determine the importance of galaxy mergers in the lives of active galactic nuclei. The PI will work with planetarium staff and educators to develop a planetarium show (in both English and Spanish) aimed at middle-school students. The show will be distributed free of charge to other planetariums. The team will use the technique known as integral field spectroscopy (IFS) to develop the first systematic kinematic galaxy classification scheme. They demonstrate conclusively that IFS surveys are the preferred method for detecting late-stage mergers of galaxies. The combination of their observations and the proposed simulated galaxy mergers has the potential to resolve disagreements between models and observations.

活动星系核（AGN）是位于星系中心的致密区域，比仅仅由恒星组成的区域要亮得多。AGN的辐射被认为是由于物质落入超大质量黑洞（SMBH），可能是由于两个星系的合并。该团队将使用望远镜将光分解成其组成颜色，以识别和分类可能包含SMBH的合并星系。他们将使用计算机制作模拟合并星系的模型进行比较。最后，他们将把他们的结果应用到1万个星系的天空调查中，以确定星系合并在活动星系核生命中的重要性。PI将与天文馆的工作人员和教育工作者一起开发一个面向中学生的天文馆节目（英语和西班牙语）。该节目将免费分发给其他天文馆。该团队将使用积分场光谱（IFS）技术来开发第一个系统的运动学星系分类方案。他们确凿地证明，IFS巡天是探测晚期星系合并的首选方法。他们的观测和提出的模拟星系合并的结合有可能解决模型和观测之间的分歧。

项目成果

Accurate Identification of Galaxy Mergers with Stellar Kinematics

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/abe2a9
• 发表时间: 2021-02
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal
• 作者: R. Nevin;L. Blecha;J. Comerford;J. Greene;D. Law;D. Stark;K. Westfall;J. A. Vázquez-Mata

A Catalog of 406 AGNs in MaNGA: A Connection between Radio-mode AGNs and Star Formation Quenching

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/abb2ae
• 发表时间: 2020-08
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal
• 作者: J. Comerford;J. Negus;F. Müller-Sánchez;M. Eracleous;D. Wylezalek;T. Storchi-Bergmann;J. Greene

Accurate Identification of Galaxy Mergers with Imaging

通过成像准确识别星系合并

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/aafd34
• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal
• 作者: Nevin, R.;Blecha, L.;Comerford, J.;Greene, J.
• 通讯作者: Greene, J.

The Physics of the Coronal-line Region for Galaxies in Mapping Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ac1343
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal
• 作者: J. Negus;J. Comerford;Francisco Müller Sánchez;J. Barrera-Ballesteros;N. Drory;S. Rembold;R. Riffel

A Catalog of 71 Coronal Line Galaxies in MaNGA: [Ne v] Is an Effective AGN Tracer

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/acb772
• 发表时间: 2023-01
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal
• 作者: J. Negus;J. Comerford;Francisco Muller Sanchez;M. Revalski;R. Riffel;K. Bundy;R. Nevin;S. Rembold