RUI: Kinematic and Magnetic Field Analysis of the Radio Core and Jets Associated with Active Galactic Nuclei

活动星系核(AGN)是宇宙中能量最高的区域，与超大质量黑洞有关。当潮汐力量扰乱这些星系中的邻近恒星和云层时，其中一些物质通过目前无法解释的磁准直效应，被引导到两个两极相对论喷流中。这个项目将增加我们对这些喷流的运动学和磁场结构的了解。甚长基线阵列(VLBA)将用于从多个历元的四个源的数据创建总强度、极化强度、部分极化、光谱指数和旋转测量图。将尝试获得定性的圆偏振图，这是活动星系核微秒尺度成像的一个新方面。这些图像将用于建模和确定物理量(例如，与BLLac天体相关的平面冲击中的冲击压缩)。这项研究将在弗吉尼亚州中部的斯威特·布莱尔学院进行，这是一所本科女子学院，将在两个夏天总共涉及四名学生。

AST 0206194 (RUI)Denn, GActive Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) are the most energetic regions of the universe and are associated with supermassive black holes. As tidal forces disrupt neighboring stars and clouds in these galaxies, some of this material, through currently unexplainedmagnetic collimation effects, is directed into two bipolar relativistic jets. This project will increase our understanding of the kinematic and magnetic field structure of these jets. The Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) will be used to create total intensity, polarized intensity, fractional polarization, spectral index, and rotation measure maps from data for four sources at a number of epochs. An attempt will be made to obtain qualitative circular polarization maps, a new aspect of parsec-scale imaging of AGN. These images will be used to model and determine physical quantities (e.g., shock compression in planar shocks associated with BL Lac objects.) The research will be performed at Sweet Briar College, an undergraduate women's college in central Virginia, and will involve a total of four students over two summers.