U.S.-Poland Astronomical Research on Consequences of Relativistic Proton Production in Active Galactic Nuclei

这项由美国科罗拉多大学博尔德分校的Mitchell Begelman博士和华沙哥白尼天文中心的Marek Sikora博士合作的美国-波兰研究项目的主要目标是提高我们对活动星系核工作原理的理解。研究人员将通过研究他们假设的相对论质子在类星体和其他活动星系核(AGN)中产生的天体物理后果来实现这一点。他们的工作应该会对超高能伽马射线和中微子的通量做出定量预测。对这些粒子的探测将证明活动星系核中相对论强子的重要性，并可能支持它们在强类星体风形成中发挥关键作用的理论。这些结果可能解决与观测到的BEL(宽发射线)和BAL(宽吸收线区)银河系现象有关的几个理论问题。这个银河系外天文学项目通过使美国和东欧的顶尖专家能够将互补的人才结合在一起，并在共同感兴趣和有能力的领域汇集研究资源，实现了促进科学知识的计划目标。

The primary objective of this U.S.-Poland research project between Dr. Mitchell Begelman of the University of Colorado, Boulder, and Dr. Marek Sikora of the Copernicus Astronomical Center, Warsaw, is to improve our understanding of the workings of active galactic nuclei. The researchers will do this by studying the astrophysical consequences of their hypothesis that relativistic protons are produced in quasars and other active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Their work should yield quantitative predictions about the fluxes of very high energy gamma rays and neutrinos. Detections of these particles would demonstrate the significance of relativistic hadrons in AGNs and potentially support the theory that they play a key role in formation of strong quasar winds. Results may solve several theoretical problems related to the observed galactic phenomena of BEL (broad emission line) and BAL (broad absorption line) regions. This project in extragalactic astronomy fulfills the program objective of advancing scientific knowledge by enabling leading experts in the United States and Eastern Europe to combine complimentary talents and pool research resources in areas at strong mutual interest and competence.