Multicolor Active Galactic Nuclei Monitoring

由于宇宙膨胀和星系演化的影响是混合的，很难区分，因此基于远距离星系的光红外观测的经典方法很难确定宇宙学参数。提出了一种测量遥远星系光度距离的新方法，该方法不受星系演化效应的影响，并且克服了星系演化效应。提出的方法如下：首先，测量活动星系核（AGN）的光学变率到红外变率的滞后（尘埃混响法）。然后，紫外/光学绝对星等可以估计从测量的滞后，因为一个发光的活动星系核有一个大的尘埃环，因此有一个大的滞后。最后通过比较活动星系核的绝对星等和视星等，来测量活动星系核的光度距离。为了建立和应用该方法，我们准备了一个2米的望远镜，专门用于监测活动星系核在毛伊岛的哈雷阿卡拉天文台，并开始从2000财政年度的观测。通过对NGC 4151等活动星系核的初步观测，较精确地测量了其光学和红外光变之间的滞后，表明该方法是可行的。我们将开始对大量活动星系核进行连续几年的频繁监测，并将建立最大的活动星系核光学和红外变率数据库。利用星系的最新观测结果，构建了一个新的星系演化模型，并利用经典方法（m-z，theta-z，计数）确定了新模型估计的演化效应的宇宙学参数.我们认为，在SDF中发现的极端红色物体是尘埃笼罩形成椭圆星系，并与理论星系形成过程的观察进行了比较。

It is difficult to determine the cosmological parameters by the classical methods based on the optical-infrared observation of distant galaxies, because the effect of the cosmic expansion and the galaxy evolution is mixed and difficult to distinguish. We proposed a new method to measure the luminosity distance of remote galaxies, which is independent of and overcomes the galaxy evolution effect. The proposed method is as follows:At first, a lag from the optical variability to the infrared variability of an active galactic nucleous (AGN) is measured (the dust reverberation method). Then, the UV/optical absolute magnitude can be estimated from the measured lag because a luminous AGN have a large dust torus and therefore have a large lag. At last comparing the absolute and apparant magnitude of the AGN, we can measure the luminosity distance. In order to establish and apply the method, we prepared a 2 m telescope dedicated to monitoring AGNs at the Haleakala observatories at Maui island, and started the observation from fiscal 2000. The lags between the optical variability and infrared variability of NGC 4151 and some other nearby AGNs was measured accurately than ever from the pilot observation, therefore the method we proposed can be concluded promising. We are going to start the frequent monitor of lots of AGNs to be continued several years, and will construct the largest optical and infrared variability database of AGNs.1. A new galaxy evolution model was constructed with the recent observational results of galaxies, and determine the cosmological parameters using the classical methods (m-z, theta-z, number count) concerning with the evolution effect estimated by the new model.2. We argued that the extremely red objects found in SDF is dust enshrouded forming elliptical galaxies, and compared the observation with the theoretical galaxy formation processes.