CAREER: Direct Tests of Black Hole Accretion Rate Prescriptions

一个星系可以被黑洞完全改变，黑洞是星系中心巨大的能量来源。计算机模拟帮助我们理解形成星系的物理原理。然而，即使是当今最复杂的模拟也需要在非常小的尺度上猜测发生了什么。这个项目使用最新的最先进的观测来观察这些小尺度。这些观测结果将检验用来描述黑洞如何成长的方程。了解黑洞的这一方面将显示它们是如何改变宿主星系的。该研究员还将通过与现有的桥梁项目合作，领导招募少数民族学生进入物理学和天文学领域。该项目还将通过指导和基础物理、数学和逻辑技能的新课程为在读学生提供支持。通过结合近红外自适应光学辅助积分场光谱学和长基线干涉测量法，使用美国国家科学基金会的ALMA望远镜，获得高分辨率图像，该项目将以低于10%的分辨率测量大范围活跃黑洞周围的关键特性。干涉观测将测量一氧化碳（CO）的分布，它可以追踪该地区的冷气体。这些测量提供了与黑洞吸积率相关的标准子网格处方的输入，允许对给定黑洞进行预测，如果该处方占主导地位，吸积率将是多少。这些系统也有现有的硬x射线观测和模型来提供实际的吸积速率。将两者结合起来，将确定哪种黑洞吸积速率处方在哪种制度下是合理的，并为星系演化模拟提供建议。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。

A galaxy can be completely transformed by a black hole, the huge energy source at its center. Computer simulations help us understand the physics that shapes galaxies. However, even the most complex simulations today need to guess what is going on at very small scales. This project uses new state-of-the-art observations to look at those small scales. These observations will test the equations used to describe how black holes grow. Understanding this aspect of black holes will show how they change their host galaxies. The investigator will also lead efforts to recruit minority students into physics and astronomy by partnering with existing bridge programs. This program will also support current students through mentorship and a new course on basic physics, math, and logic skills.By combining near-infrared adaptive optics-assisted integral field spectroscopy and long-baseline interferometry, using NSF’s ALMA telescope, to obtain high resolution images, this program will measure key properties at sub-10pc resolution around a broad range of active black holes. The interferometric observations will measure the distribution of carbon monoxide, CO, which traces cold gas in this region. These measurements provide the inputs for standard sub-grid prescriptions relating to black hole accretion rates, allowing predictions of, for a given black hole, what the accretion rate would be if that prescription were the dominant one. These systems also have existing hard-X-ray observations and modeling to provide the actual accretion rate. Putting these two together will identify which black hole accretion rate prescriptions are reasonable in which regimes, and produce recommendations for galaxy evolution simulations.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.