RUI: Spatially-Resolved Kinematics of Reverberation-Mapped Active Galactic Nuclei Host Galaxies

大多数星系的中心都有一个巨大的黑洞，其质量可以达到太阳质量的数百万到数十亿倍。它们也被称为超大质量黑洞。超大质量黑洞的起源是天文学中一个重要的开放性问题。对于在所谓的“活跃星系”中心通过尘埃和气体的吸积而形成的超大质量黑洞，它们的质量可以通过一种被称为“回声映射”的观测技术来测量。在这项工作中，PI将研究33个活跃星系的宿主星系的特性，这些星系的超大质量黑洞的质量已经通过回声映射确定。他们用世界上最大的望远镜——凯克望远镜（夏威夷）和甚大望远镜（智利）——获得了数据。他们最先进的仪器允许PI在一次观测中测量整个星系的光谱（不同波长的光的分布，类似于彩虹）。他们将研究超大质量黑洞的质量与星系中恒星的运动学之间的关系，这是衡量星系质量的一种方法。这种紧密的关系表明，超大质量黑洞和星系是一起生长的。他们的样本将现有的关系扩展到高质量体系，并可用于研究质量和星系形态的趋势。这将增强对超大质量黑洞和星系的生长和演化的理解。虽然回声映射是耗时的，但它的结果使得对整个宇宙活动星系的黑洞质量估计成为可能。PI的样本将作为这些黑洞质量测量的校准器。超大质量黑洞是位于星系中心的超大质量黑洞，其质量是太阳的数百万到数十亿倍。超大质量黑洞的起源是天文学中一个重要的开放性问题。对于在所谓的“活跃星系”中心通过尘埃和气体的吸积而形成的超大质量黑洞，它们的质量可以通过一种被称为“回声映射”的观测技术来测量。在这项工作中，PI将研究33个活跃星系的宿主星系的特性，这些星系的超大质量黑洞的质量已经通过回声映射确定。他们用世界上最大的望远镜——凯克望远镜（夏威夷）和甚大望远镜（智利）——获得了数据。他们最先进的仪器允许PI在一次观测中测量整个星系的光谱。他们将研究超大质量黑洞的质量与星系中恒星的运动学之间的关系，这是衡量星系质量的一种方法。这种紧密的关系表明，超大质量黑洞和星系是一起生长的。此外，它们将适合图像（从光谱中创建或由哈勃太空望远镜拍摄），以详细分解宿主星系。样品将现有的关系扩展到高质量体系，并可用于研究质量和星系形态的趋势。这将增强对超大质量黑洞和星系的生长和演化的理解。虽然回声映射是耗时的，但它的结果使得对整个宇宙活动星系的黑洞质量估计成为可能。PI的样本将作为这些黑洞质量测量的校准器。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Part 1Most galaxies harbor in their center a very massive black hole with a mass that can range from millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun. They are also known as supermassive black holes. The origin of supermassive black holes is an important open question in astronomy. For supermassive black holes growing through accretion of dust and gas in the centers of so-called "active galaxies", their mass can be measured through an observing technique known as "echo mapping". In this work, the PI will study the properties of the host galaxies for a sample of 33 active galaxies for which the mass of the supermassive black hole has been previously determined through echo mapping. They have obtained data with some of the largest telescopes world-wide, the Keck telescope (Hawaii) and the Very Large Telescope (Chile). Their state-of-the art instruments allow the PI to measure spectra (the distribution of light over different wavelengths, similar to a rainbow) over the entire galaxy within one single observation. They will study the relationship between the mass of the supermassive black hole and the kinematics of the stars in the galaxy, a measure of the galaxy mass. The tightness of such a relationship indicates that supermassive black holes and galaxies grow together. Their sample extends existing relationships into the high mass regime and can be used to study trends with mass and galaxy morphology. This will enhance understanding of the growth and evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies. While echo mapping is time consuming, its results have enabled black-hole mass estimates for active galaxies across the universe. The PI's sample will serve as a calibrator for these black-hole mass measurements. Part 2Supermassive Black Holes are very massive black holes in the center of galaxies with millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun. The origin of supermassive black holes is an important open question in astronomy. For supermassive black holes growing through accretion of dust and gas in the centers of so-called "active galaxies", their mass can be measured through an observing technique known as "echo mapping". In this work, the PI will study the properties of the host galaxies for a sample of 33 active galaxies for which the mass of the supermassive black hole has been previously determined through echo mapping. They have obtained data with some of the largest telescopes world-wide, the Keck telescope (Hawaii) and the Very Large Telescope (Chile). Their state-of-the art instruments allow the PI to measure spectra over the entire galaxy within one single observation. They will study the relationship between the mass of the supermassive black hole and the kinematics of the stars in the galaxy, a measure of the galaxy mass. The tightness of such a relationship indicates that supermassive black holes and galaxies grow together. In addition, they will fit images (either created from the spectra or taken by the Hubble Space Telescope) for a detailed host-galaxy decomposition. The sample extends existing relationships into the high mass regime and can be used to study trends with mass and galaxy morphology. This will enhance understanding of the growth and evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies. While echo mapping is time consuming, its results have enabled black-hole mass estimates for active galaxies across the universe. The PI's sample will serve as a calibrator for these black-hole mass measurements.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.