Research Coordination of the Black Hole Astronomy

黑洞的存在是由爱因斯坦广义相对论预言的，它对我们对自然的基本认识有着重要的影响。设立目前的优先研究领域，是为了大力推进日本在很大程度上做出贡献的黑洞科学。我们的方法主要是“实验和观测”，通过太空观测来探测物质被黑洞吞噬或排出时从黑洞中产生的x射线和伽马射线。这项研究涉及与理论和数值研究者的合作。通过5年的研究，我们操作了HETE-2卫星，帮助雨燕卫星上的仪器校准，并于2005年7月10日将朱雀航天器送入轨道。我们的活动还有助于筹备两个重要的天体物理任务，即美国伽马射线任务GLAST和将在国际空间站上进行的MAXI任务。为了将来更多的观测，我们开发了x射线量热计、各种x射线偏振计、新型x射线ccd、伽玛射线康普顿照相机等仪器，并在课程中进行了一些气球实验。相关的理论/数值研究进行了广泛。通过这些研究活动，我们有；发现当宇宙最远处的大质量恒星坍缩成黑洞时，会产生伽马射线暴；成功探测到巨大黑洞的广义相对论效应；确定了中等质量黑洞的有希望的候选者；发现了吸积黑洞双星的四种光谱状态。获得的结果包括关于黑洞发射的相对论性喷流和黑洞相关核合成的新知识。因此，我们的成就加强了黑洞的存在，并大大提高了对这些神秘物体的认识。这些结果有望加速我们未来的黑洞研究，例如正在准备中的NeXT x射线任务。在权威期刊上发表论文300余篇，在国际会议上发表科学报告100余篇。少

Black holes, of which the existence is predicted by the Einstein's general relatively, has a basic importance affecting our fundamental recognition of nature. The preseent priority research area has been set up in order to significantly promote the black hole science for which Japan has been contributing to a great extent. Our method is primarily 'experimental and observational, detecting via space observations X-rays and gamma-rays emerging from black holes as the matter is swallowed into or expelled from them. The research involves collaborations with theoretical and numerical investigators. Through the 5 years of research term, we thus operated the HETE-2 satellite, helped the instrumental calibration onboard Swift, and put the Suzaku spacecraft into orbit on 2005 July 10. Our activity also contributed to the preparation of two important astrophysics missions, namely the US gamma-ray mission GLAST, and the MAXI mission to be onboard the International Space Station. For future observ … More ations, we developed such instrumentation as X-ray calorimeters, various X-ray polarimeters, new X-ray CCDs, and gamm-ray Compton cameras, and conducted a few balloon experiment in the course. Related theoretical/numerical studies were performed extensively.Through these research activities, we have; discovered that gamma-ray bursts are generated when massive stars at the farthest Universe collapse into black holes; successfully detected general relativistic effects from giant black holes; identified promising candidates for intermediate-mass black holes; and found four spectral states from accreting black-hole binaries. The obtained results include new knowledge on relativistic jets launched by black holes, and black-hole related nucleosynthesis. Our achievements thus strengthen the existence of black holes, and give much improved knowledge on these enigmatic objects. The results are expected to accelerate our future black-hole studies, using, e.g, the NeXT X-ray mission which is under preparation. We have published more than 300 papers on refereed journals, and conducted more than 100 scientific presentations on international conferences. Less