High Energy Astrophysics at Southampton

在恒星尺度上，我们感兴趣的高质量X射线双星（HMXB）人口的演变，特别是在银河系和SMC，不同的星星形成率和金属丰度可能是至关重要的不同环境的意义。在我们所看到的东西中，局部和星际的遮蔽相对重要性是什么？在这里，即将到来的SMC的2毫秒积分关键计划观测，几乎不受遮蔽的影响，将具有很大的价值。球状星团是研究恒星动力学和恒星演化的杰出实验室，特别是对于了解最奇异的恒星种群。我们正在收集大量球状星团样本的观测结果，以了解哪些星团特性对这些奇异恒星的产生最重要，并与低恒星密度矮球状星系进行比较，以将恒星演化与恒星动力学分离开来。设在荷兰的低频无线电阵列LOFAR即将打开一扇了解宇宙的新窗口，提供第一台无线电“全天监测器”。我们将研究相干射电爆发，可能与合并中子星有关，在巨大的距离（z=7）可探测，提供星系际介质的独特探测，甚至可能通过识别LIGO螺旋事件来测试引力和宇宙学距离尺度的理论。以及它如何与活动星系核（在那里建立了黑洞质量的标度定律）、吸积中子星和白色矮星中的平行过程联系起来。我们已经积累了第一个全面的黑洞光谱状态数据库，并将扩展这种分析，包括X射线计时和无线电结果。因此，我们将对黑洞吸积流与相对论喷流的形成和能量之间的关系进行迄今为止最全面的分析。这些结果可以应用于星系和星系团活动星系核的反馈。我们将大大提高我们的知识之间的缩放关系的特征X射线的时间尺度，质量和吸积率在塞弗特星系和银河系双星，从而测试物理模型，这一重要的普遍关系。我们将确定这种关系是否适用于喷流为主的“blazar”，这意味着一个普遍的起源的变化。我们正在建立一个模型，传播波动的基础上，提供物理理解的所有光谱定时关系，以获得物理参数，如光盘发射率配置文件。这个模型，加上额外的X射线后处理，也应该解释活动星系核中的X射线/光学相关性，所以我们将用我们的X射线/光学监测来测试它。为了提供附近宇宙的普查，以便建立更遥远宇宙的模型，我们大量参与了附近星系样本的eMERLIN遗留调查。现在人们普遍认为，某些过程必须重新加热星系团中的气体，否则在星系团的核心中会发现大量的冷气体，而这些气体是看不到的。但加热机制是什么？在我们最理论性的项目中，我们将通过MHD模拟研究，由合并事件、星系运动和活动星系核外流驱动的湍流能量的耗散是否可能是原因。在最大的尺度上，活动星系核和恒星形成星系（SFG）都对微弱的射电源群有贡献，但它们的混合是什么？通过结合射电形态学和各种光谱能量诊断，我们可以区分活动星系核和SFG。因此，使用射电光度作为恒星形成率（SFR）的指标，我们可以确定宇宙SFR的演变在吸收无关的方式。我们将把这种技术推向更高的红移，作为eMERLIN深场遗留调查的主要贡献者，并探索SFG和AGN之间的关系。

On the stellar scale we are interested in the significance of different environments on the evolution of high mass X-ray binary (HMXB) populations, in particular between the Milky Way and the SMC, where differing star formation rates and metallicities could be crucial. What are the relative importances of local and interstellar obscuration in what we see? Here the upcoming 2Msec INTEGRAL Key Programme observation of the SMC, almost unaffected by obscuration, will be of great value. Globular clusters are outstanding laboratories for studying stellar dynamics and stellar evolution, especially for understanding the most exotic stellar populations. We are drawing together observations of large samples of globular clusters to understand which cluster properties are most important for the production of these exotic stars, and comparing with low stellar density dwarf spheroidal galaxies to isolate the stellar evolution from stellar dynamics. The Netherlands-based low frequency radio array, LOFAR, is about to open a new window on the universe providing the first radio `all sky monitor'. We will study coherent radio bursts, perhaps associated with merging neutron stars, detectable at enormous distances (to z=7), providing a unique probe of the intergalactic medium and possibly even testing theories of gravity and cosmological distance scales via identification of LIGO inspiral events We will continue our research into the coupling between accretion and outflow (jets) in X-ray binaries, and how it relates to parallel processes in AGN (where scaling laws with black hole mass are established), accreting neutron stars and white dwarfs. We have amassed the first comprehensive database of black hole spectral states and will extend this analysis to include X-ray timing and radio results. Thus we will produce the most comprehensive analysis to date of the relation between black hole accretion flows and the formation and power of relativistic jets. The results can be applied to AGN feedback in galaxies and clusters. We will greatly improve our knowledge of the scaling relationship between characteristic X-ray timescale, mass and accretion rate in Seyfert galaxies and Galactic binaries, thus testing physical models for this important universal relationship. We will determine whether the relationship applies in jet dominated ``blazars'', implying a universal origin for variability. We are building a model, based on propagating fluctuations, to provide physical understanding of all spectral-timing relationships to derive physical parameters, eg disc emissivity profile. This model, with additional X-ray reprocessing, should also explain X-ray/optical correlations in AGN so we will test it against our X-ray/optical monitoring. To provide a census of the nearby universe on which models of the more distant universe can be built, we are heavily involved in eMERLIN legacy surveys of nearby galaxy samples It is now widely accepted that some process must reheat the gas in galaxy clusters or large amounts of cool gas, which are not seen, would be found in the cores of clusters of galaxies. But what is the heating mechanism? In our most theoretical project we will investigate, via MHD simulations, whether the dissipation of turbulent energy, driven by merger events, galaxy motions and AGN outflows, may be responsible. On the largest scales, both AGN and starforming galaxies (SFGs) contribute to the faint radio source population, but what is the mix? By combining radio morphology with a variety of spectral energy diagnostics we can distinguish AGN from SFGs. Hence, using radio luminosity as a starformation rate (SFR) indicator, we can determine the evolution of the cosmic SFR in an absorption-independent manner. We will push this technique to much higher redshifts, as major contributors to eMERLIN deep field legacy surveys, and also probe the relationship between SFGs and AGN.