Improving modeling of the LIGO AGN channel

LIGO、Virgo和KAGRA(LVK)引力波(GW)探测器正在通过引力波观测探测我们宇宙中大量合并的致密天体(中子星和黑洞)。一个重要的研究领域是这些致密天体是如何在宇宙时代内形成、聚集和融合的。从LIGO-Virgo GW的观测中出现了几条线索，这些线索表明，活动星系核可能是观测到的致密天体合并的重要贡献者。在活动星系核中，超大质量黑洞由炽热、明亮的气体盘提供。纽约市立大学曼哈顿社区学院和美国自然历史博物馆的一个研究小组将重写、改进并向天文学社区公开发布他们开发的研究活动星系核形成通道的软件包。作为该项目的一部分，首席调查人员将与一个名为AstroCom NYC的项目合作，该项目旨在通过让未被充分代表的少数族裔本科生直接参与研究并鼓励少数群体服务机构的研究来增加天体物理学研究的多样性。将AGN与紧凑天体合并联系起来的一些线索包括黑洞的违反幂定律的质量分布、中等质量黑洞的形成以及不对称的质量合并事件(特别是黑洞和中子星之间的质量合并事件)。研究人员开发的蒙特卡罗代码对AGN通道做出了几个原创性的预测，通过公开发布它，他们将帮助更广泛的社区中的人口建模人员测试AGN通道与其他通道相比的先验，并将该领域推向对AGN及其嵌入对象的理解。这还将加快模型开发和整个社区的LVK种群建模，因为LVK O4(观察运行4)开始了。这个项目推进了NSF宇宙大理想之窗的目标。这一奖项反映了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。

The LIGO, Virgo and Kagra (LVK) gravitational wave (GW) detectors are detecting large numbers of merging compact astrophysical objects (neutron stars and black holes) in our Universe via gravitational wave observations. An important area of investigation is how these pairs of compact objects form, come together and merge within the age of the Universe. Several clues are emerging from LIGO-Virgo GW observations that suggest that active galactic nuclei, where supermassive black holes are fed by disks of hot, bright gas, may be a significant contributor to observed compact object mergers. A research group at the CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College and American Museum of Natural History will rewrite, improve and publicly release to the astronomy community a software package they have developed to study this AGN formation channel. As part of this project, the lead investigators will work with a program called AstroCom NYC, designed to increase diversity in astrophysics research, by involving under-represented minority undergraduate students directly in research as well as encouraging research at minority-serving institutions.Some of the clues linking AGN to compact object mergers include the broken power-law mass distribution of black holes, intermediate mass black hole formation, and asymmetric mass merger events (particularly between black holes and neutron stars). The Monte Carlo code the investigators have developed has made several original predictions about the AGN channel and by publicly releasing it, they will help population modelers in the broader community to test AGN channel priors compared with other channels and move the field towards an understanding of AGN and the embedded objects within them. This will also accelerate model development and LVK populations modelling across the community as LVK O4 (observing run 4) begins. This project advances the goals of the NSF Windows on the Universe Big Idea.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.