Echo Mapping of Black Hole Accretion Flows in Active Galactic Nuclei

光的传播时间延迟使吸积盘和活动星系核中超大质量黑洞周围的宽发射线区域的微弧秒映射成为可能。利用我们在LCOGT机器人望远镜网络上的时间份额，沿着来自HST，Swift和Kepler卫星的数据，我们正在监测活动星系核的光谱变化，以测量黑洞质量，吸积率和光度距离。通过解码信息的混响发射线的配置文件，我们使2维速度延迟地图的广泛的发射线区域，映射的速度场和电离结构的吸积流。学生将获取和分析这些数据集，使用MCMC方法拟合参数化模型，使用Horne最大熵拟合代码MEMEEcho进行图像重建，以及Ferland的Cloudy等光电离代码。

Light travel time delays enable micro-arcsecond mapping of accretion discs and broad emission-line regions around the super-massive black holes in the nuclei of active galaxies. Using our share of time on the LCOGT robotic telescope network, along with data from HST, Swift and Kepler satellites, we are monitoring spectral variations of Active Galactic Nuclei to measure black hole masses, accretion rates, and luminosity distances. By decoding information in the reverberating emission-line profiles, we make 2-dimensional velocity-delay maps of broad emission-line regions, mapping the velocity field and ionisation structure of the accretion flows. The student will acquire and analyse such datasets, fitting parameterised models using MCMC methods, image reconstruction using Horne maximum entropy fitting code MEMEcho, and photo-ionisation codes such as Ferland's Cloudy.