Forming the First Massive Black Holes

形成第一个大质量黑洞

基本信息

批准号：
2006176
负责人：
Zoltan Haiman
金额：
$ 76.68万
依托单位：
Columbia University
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Standard Grant
财政年份：
2020
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2020-09-01 至 2024-08-31
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2006176&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
Forming First Massive Black Holes

项目摘要

The existence of supermassive black holes within the first billion years after the big bang is a puzzle. This project will explore one proposed pathway to their formation. The project will use computer modeling to simulate the formation of smaller black holes from the direct collapse of cold gas clouds in the early universe and will trace the evolution of these seed black holes into the larger supermassive black holes. The project will incorporate the interaction of radiation with the matter in the early universe in their models and will follow the dynamics of early dark matter halos to the epoch of reionization. The models will be used to determine observational signatures of this process so that it can be tested with future observations. The project will support a post-baccalaureate student from the Columbia Bridge program within their research and will restructure a graduate course on computational modeling.The project will use ENZO, a high-resolution 3D hydrodynamic code that incorporates radiative transfer, to model the fragmentation and collapse of atomic-cooling halos into supermassive stars or directly into seed black holes. The project will include the effects of radiative feedback into the growth and collapse of cold gas clouds within dark matter halos. The results of their simulations will be used to make predictions for electromagnetic signatures of this black-hole seed scenario that will inform future observations. The project team will recruit a post-baccalaureate student from the Columbia Bridge program, who will be directly included in the research and who will receive mentoring by the principal investigators. One of the investigators will modify his existing graduate course in astrophysical computational modeling to better include students with a wide variation in computational preparation.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.

大爆炸后最初十亿年内超大质量黑洞的存在是一个谜。该项目将探索一种拟议的形成途径。该项目将使用计算机建模来模拟早期宇宙中冷气体云直接塌缩所形成的较小黑洞的形成，并将追踪这些种子黑洞到较大超大质量黑洞的演化过程。该项目将在模型中纳入辐射与早期宇宙中物质的相互作用，并将跟踪早期暗物质晕到再电离时代的动力学。这些模型将用于确定该过程的观测特征，以便可以通过未来的观测进行测试。该项目将支持哥伦比亚桥项目的一名本科生进行研究，并将重组计算建模研究生课程。该项目将使用 ENZO（一种包含辐射传输的高分辨率 3D 流体动力学代码）来模拟碎片和原子冷却晕坍缩成超大质量恒星或直接坍缩成种子黑洞。该项目将包括辐射反馈对暗物质晕内冷气体云的生长和崩溃的影响。他们的模拟结果将用于预测黑洞种子场景的电磁特征，为未来的观测提供信息。项目团队将从哥伦比亚桥项目招募一名学士后学生，该学生将直接参与研究，并接受主要研究人员的指导。其中一名研究人员将修改他现有的天体物理计算模型研究生课程，以更好地涵盖计算准备方面差异较大的学生。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查进行评估，被认为值得支持标准。