Variability as a Probe of Supermassive Black Hole Accretion and Outflow

变异性作为超大质量黑洞吸积和流出的探针

• 批准号: RGPIN-2016-04892
• 负责人: Haggard, Daryl
• 金额: $ 1.97万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=633418
• 关键词: Variability; Probe; Supermassive; Black; Hole

A supermassive black hole (SMBH) resides at the heart of every massive galaxy, including Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the ~4 million solar-mass black hole in our Milky Way. These collections of mass, so dense that light cannot escape their gravitational pull, have a profound impact on the formation and structure of their host galaxies, despite being packed into structures smaller than our Solar System. SMBHs grow most often via gas and dust inflowing through an accretion disk. Despite the dark mass at its core, the accretion disk, and sometimes an associated jet or wind, can outshine the entire host galaxy. Since every part of this dynamic structure varies with time, strategic "time-domain" monitoring of accreting SMBHs can probe the physics governing matter in this unique strong-gravity regime.

超大质量黑洞（SMBH）位于每个大质量星系的中心，包括人马座A*（Sgr A*），我们银河系中的400万太阳质量黑洞。这些质量的集合如此密集，以至于光无法逃脱它们的引力，对它们的宿主星系的形成和结构产生了深远的影响，尽管它们被包装成比我们太阳系更小的结构。SMBH的生长通常是通过气体和尘埃流入吸积盘。尽管在它的核心有黑暗的质量，吸积盘，有时还有相关的喷流或风，可以使整个宿主星系黯然失色。由于这种动态结构的每一部分都随时间而变化，因此对吸积SMBH的战略性“时域”监测可以探索在这种独特的强引力状态下控制物质的物理学。