A New Subgrid Model for AGN Feedback in Galaxy Clusters

大多数星系的中心都有超大质量的黑洞。当这些黑洞吞噬气体时，它们会产生喷流，在一个被称为反馈的过程中清除气体。许多星系居住在星系团中，反馈既可以影响星系的增长，也可以影响星系团的演化。该项目将开发和改进一种模拟气体吸积对反馈影响的方法。这种方法可以用来更好地模拟星系和星系团在宇宙时间内的增长。该项目还将开发基于网络的宇宙学演示，供课堂使用。该项目还将支持高中女生的女生科学夏令营。该项目将完成活动星系核(AGN)在星系团中反馈的新亚格子模式的开发。该模型将中心黑洞视为一个下沉粒子，并在已分解的控制面上使用积分来计算吸积率。然后，吸积率被用来确定吸积盘模型的状态，该模型将确定反馈的形式和效率。该模型将被应用于星系团中心的3D自适应网格细化模拟，以研究两个问题：吸积盘状态转变如何与星系团核心中的大规模流动相互作用；以及最亮的星系团星系合并产生的二元性如何影响AGN反馈。现有的计算天体物理学教育网站将使用新的模拟工具进行升级，现有的外展夏令营计划将利用额外活动日和项目的资源进行改进。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Most galaxies have supermassive black holes in their centers. As these black holes swallow gas, they produce jets that can remove gas in a process known as feedback. Many galaxies inhabit clusters of galaxies and feedback can influence both the growth of the galaxies and the evolution of galaxy clusters. This project will develop and refine a method for simulating the effect of gas accretion on feedback. This method can be used to better model the growth of galaxies and galaxy clusters over cosmic time. The project will also develop web-based demonstrations of cosmology for use in classrooms. It will also support a girls' science summer camp for high school girls.The project will complete the development of a novel sub grid mode for active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback in clusters of galaxies. The model treats the central black hole as a sink particle and computes the accretion rate using integration over a resolved control surface. The accretion rate is then used to determine the state of an accretion disk model which will determine the form and efficiency of the feedback. The model will be applied to 3D adaptive mesh refinement simulations of the centers of clusters of galaxies to investigate two questions: how accretion disk state transitions interact with large-scale flows in cluster cores; and how binarity resulting from mergers of the brightest cluster galaxies affects AGN feedback. An existing web site for computational astrophysics education will be upgraded with new simulations tools, and an existing outreach camp program will be improved with resources for additional activity days and projects.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.