Microlensing Studies of Quasar Structure

这个项目的目的是利用透镜类星体中的引力微透镜来测量类星体最内部发射区的大小。主要目标将是：(1)精确测量吸积盘大小与黑洞质量的比例；(2)从近红外到空间UV确定盘大小的随波长的比例；(3)确定非热X射线发射区的大小及其与黑洞质量的比例；(4)常规测量盘的倾角和取向；以及(5)测量盘结构随亮度变化的变化。这项工作的广泛影响包括研究生培训和博士后、公共讲座和中学教师培训。

The purpose of this project is to use gravitational microlensing in lensed quasars to measure the sizes of innermost quasar emission regions. The main goals will be to (1) accurately measure the scaling of accretion disk size with black hole mass; (2) determine the scaling of disk size with wavelength from the near-IR through the space UV; (3) determine the size of the non-thermal X-ray emitting regions and their scaling with black hole mass; (4) routinely measure disk inclinations and orientations; and (5) measure the changes in disk structure with changes in luminosity.Broader impacts of the work include training of graduate students and a postdoc, public lectures, and middle school teacher training by the PI.