Collaborative Research: Understanding the limits of AGN feedback: a dedicated study of extremely high velocity outflows.

在不到一个世纪的时间里，我们对宇宙的认识已经从认为我们是宇宙中唯一的星系转变为认识到银河系之外有数十亿个星系;今天我们还知道，大多数星系，如果不是全部的话，在它们的中心都有一个超大质量黑洞。黑洞仍然是宇宙中最迷人的物体之一，虽然它们很难观察，但向它们学习的一种方法是通过它们对环境造成的影响。例如，只要它们周围有气体，这些超大质量黑洞就可以“激活”宇宙中最具活力的现象之一：活动星系核，其中类星体是最明亮的。在过去的二十年里，我们还了解到这些超大质量黑洞及其宿主星系的质量是相互关联的，但尚不清楚小的中心区域和周围的巨大星系如何相互“交流”这些信息。一种有希望的方法是通过外流，从超大质量黑洞环境中排出的物质可以到达银河系环境。流出物还可以提供有关黑洞环境的物理和化学条件的关键线索。 该项目将允许研究人员继续扩大已知极高速类星体的样本，通过使用最先进的工具深入研究它们的整体特性以及最极端的情况，并利用所有这些信息来推进理论模型，旨在展示这些外流如何从超大质量黑洞环境中发射。该项目的目标是增加代表性不足的物理学/天文学学生的入学率，保留率和毕业成功率，以帮助未来STEM劳动力的多样化。为了做到这一点，该团队在招募和支持学生、提供有偿研究和推广机会以及创建支持性社区方面仔细选择了最佳实践。第2部分最近发现的一类外流，极高速外流（EHVO），可能是理解星系反馈过程的关键，因为它可能是质量能量方面最强大的：这似乎是联合收割机结合了超快外流的大速度和在宽吸收线类星体中发现的大柱密度。 如果初步结果得到证实，EHVO类星体可能是至关重要的，以确定所观察到的活动星系核反馈签名的上限。 该团队将进行全面的研究，包括（1）通过将已经开发的工具应用于更大的类星体样本来扩大EHVO类星体的已知案例，（2）通过使用最先进的合成建模来研究整体样本属性和最极端的情况，以及（3）使用盘风模型计算合成光谱。他们对所有这些项目进行了量身定制，使其能够由团队与6 - 10名本科生一起进行，帮助培养未来一代的科学家进行观测和理论类星体研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力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 1In less than one century, our knowledge about the universe has shifted from thinking that we were in the one and only galaxy in the universe to realizing that there are billions of galaxies beyond the Milky Way; today we also know that most galaxies, if not all, harbor in their centers a supermassive black hole. Black holes remain one of the most fascinating objects in the universe, and while they are difficult to observe, one way to learn from them is through the effects they cause in their environment. Whenever there is gas around them, for example, these supermassive black holes can "activate" one of the most energetic phenomena in the universe: active galactic nuclei, of which quasars are the most luminous ones. In the past two decades, we have also learned that the masses of these supermassive black holes and their host galaxies correlate, but it is not known how the small central region and the huge galaxy around "communicate" this information to each other. One promising method is through outflows, material expelled from the environment of the supermassive black hole that can reach the galactic environment. Outflows can also provide crucial clues about the physical and chemical conditions of the black holes' environment. This project will allow the researchers to continue enlarging the sample of known extremely high-velocity quasars, study their overall properties as well as the most extreme cases in depth by using state-of-the-art tools, and use all of this information to advance the theoretical models that aim to show how these outflows can be launched from the supermassive black hole environment. Integral to the project is the goal to increase access, retention, and graduation success for underrepresented physics/astronomy students, to help diversify the future STEM workforce. To do so, the team has carefully selected best practices in recruiting and supporting students, providing paid research and outreach opportunities, and creating a supportive community.Part 2A recently-discovered class of outflows, extremely high-velocity outflows (EHVO), may be key to understanding feedback processes in galaxies as it is likely the most powerful in terms of mass-energy: it seems to combine the large velocities of ultra-fast outflows and the large column densities found in broad absorption line quasars. If the preliminary results are confirmed, EHVO quasars might be crucial to determine the upper limit of observed AGN feedback signatures. The team will carry out a comprehensive study that includes (1) enlarging the known cases of EHVO quasars by applying already developed tools to a larger quasar sample, (2) studying the overall sample properties and the most extreme cases by using state-of-the-art synthetic modeling, and (3) computing synthetic spectra using disk wind models. They have tailored all of these projects so they can be carried out by the team together with 6 - 10 undergraduate students, helping train the future generation of scientists in both observational and theoretical quasar studies.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.