Research Coordination of the Black Hole Astronomy

黑洞的存在是爱因斯坦普遍预言的，它的存在关系到我们对自然的基本认识。设立目前的优先研究领域是为了大力促进黑洞科学，日本一直在为这一科学作出很大贡献。我们的方法主要是“实验性和观测性的，通过空间观测来检测当物质被黑洞吞噬或排出时从黑洞中出现的X射线和伽马射线。该研究涉及与理论和数值研究人员的合作。经过5年的研究，我们操作了HETE-2卫星，帮助Swift上的仪器校准，并于2005年7月10日将朱雀飞船送入轨道。我们的活动还有助于筹备两项重要的天体物理学飞行任务，即美国伽马射线使命GLAST飞行任务和将在国际空间站上进行的MAXI使命飞行任务。为了将来的发展 关于我们 在几个阶段，我们开发了诸如X射线量热计、各种X射线偏振计、新的X射线CCD和伽马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。通过这些研究活动，我们发现了宇宙最远端的大质量恒星坍缩成黑洞时产生的伽玛射线暴;成功探测到巨黑洞的广义相对论效应;发现了中等质量黑洞的可能候选者;发现了吸积黑洞双星的四种光谱态。所获得的结果包括黑洞发射的相对论喷流和黑洞相关的核合成的新知识。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，使用正在筹备中的NeXT X射线使命。我们已在权威期刊上发表了300多篇论文，并在国际会议上进行了100多场科学演讲。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