Improving modeling of the LIGO AGN channel

LIGO，Virgo和Kagra（LVK）引力波探测器正在通过引力波观测来探测我们宇宙中大量合并的紧凑天体（中子星和黑洞）。 一个重要的研究领域是这些紧凑的物体对如何形成，在宇宙的年龄内走到一起并合并。 从LIGO-Virgo GW观测中出现的几条线索表明，活动星系核，其中超大质量黑洞由炽热明亮的气体盘提供，可能是观测到的紧凑物体合并的重要贡献者。 纽约市立曼哈顿社区学院和美国自然历史博物馆的一个研究小组将重写、改进并向天文学界公开发布他们为研究活动星系核形成通道而开发的软件包。 作为该项目的一部分，首席研究员将与一个名为AstroCom NYC的项目合作，该项目旨在通过让代表性不足的少数民族本科生直接参与研究以及鼓励少数民族服务机构的研究来增加天体物理学研究的多样性。活动星系核与紧凑物体合并的一些线索包括黑洞的破幂律质量分布，中等质量黑洞的形成，和不对称的质量合并事件（特别是黑洞和中子星之间）。 研究人员开发的蒙特卡罗代码已经对AGN通道进行了几次原始预测，通过公开发布，他们将帮助更广泛社区的人口建模者与其他通道相比测试AGN通道先验，并将该领域推向对AGN及其嵌入对象的理解。 随着LVK O 4（观察运行4）的开始，这也将加速整个社区的模型开发和LVK种群建模。 该项目推进了NSF宇宙大创意窗口的目标。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The LIGO, Virgo and Kagra (LVK) gravitational wave (GW) detectors are detecting large numbers of merging compact astrophysical objects (neutron stars and black holes) in our Universe via gravitational wave observations. An important area of investigation is how these pairs of compact objects form, come together and merge within the age of the Universe. Several clues are emerging from LIGO-Virgo GW observations that suggest that active galactic nuclei, where supermassive black holes are fed by disks of hot, bright gas, may be a significant contributor to observed compact object mergers. A research group at the CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College and American Museum of Natural History will rewrite, improve and publicly release to the astronomy community a software package they have developed to study this AGN formation channel. As part of this project, the lead investigators will work with a program called AstroCom NYC, designed to increase diversity in astrophysics research, by involving under-represented minority undergraduate students directly in research as well as encouraging research at minority-serving institutions.Some of the clues linking AGN to compact object mergers include the broken power-law mass distribution of black holes, intermediate mass black hole formation, and asymmetric mass merger events (particularly between black holes and neutron stars). The Monte Carlo code the investigators have developed has made several original predictions about the AGN channel and by publicly releasing it, they will help population modelers in the broader community to test AGN channel priors compared with other channels and move the field towards an understanding of AGN and the embedded objects within them. This will also accelerate model development and LVK populations modelling across the community as LVK O4 (observing run 4) begins. This project advances the goals of the NSF Windows on the Universe Big Idea.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.