WoU-MMA: Linear and Circular Polarization as a Probe of the Relativistic Jets of Blazars

WoU-MMA：线偏振和圆偏振作为耀变体相对论射流的探针

• 批准号: 2108622
• 负责人: Alan Marscher
• 金额: $ 51.92万
• 依托单位: Trustees of Boston University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-09-01 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2108622&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: WoU; MMA; Linear; Circular; Polarization

This project will study blazars, the most luminous long-lived objects in the universe. Blazars are powered by matter from stars and interstellar gas clouds falling toward super-massive black holes at the centers of some galaxies. The infalling matter and rotation of the black hole create jets of high-energy particles and magnetic fields that flow outward at nearly the speed of light. The project will help to explain (1) how the jets are formed and accelerated, (2) whether the radiating particles are mostly "normal" matter or equal amounts of matter and anti-matter, and (3) how much energy is contained in the jets. The project will utilize multi-messenger observations at different wavelengths to probe the physical conditions in the jets of nearly 40 blazars. The project will improve our understanding of extreme conditions in the universe. It also will contribute to public appreciation of science through presentations at libraries and high schools. It will also advance the scientific training of students through visits of Native-American school students to Boston University’s Perkins Telescope, involvement of undergraduate students in the data analysis and interpretation, availability of a free textbook on extragalactic astronomy and cosmology written by the PI, and development of an exercise for college-level introductory astronomy classes. This award addresses/advances the goals of the Windows on the Universe Big Idea. Blazars are galactic nuclei with relativistic jets of magnetized, high-energy plasma produced by actively accreting super-massive black holes. The study will provide detailed information needed to characterize the magnetic field pattern in blazar jets, which is directly related to the dynamics of the jets. This will be accomplished by measuring the polarization of blazar jets both in extremely high-resolution images at microwave frequencies of 43 and 86 GHz, and from the entire jet at visible and X-ray frequencies. Cross-comparison of the linear polarization of blazars from millimeter-wave to X-ray wavelengths will trace the magnetic field pattern from about 10 parsecs to sub-parsec scales and test hypotheses regarding the particle acceleration processes that cause the extreme luminosities and variability of blazars. Comparison of the 43 and 86 GHz linear and circular polarization with computer simulations will facilitate a determination of both the relative amount of anti-matter (positrons) and the total kinetic power of the jets, which controls the impact that the jet can have on its galactic environment. The amount of anti-matter determines whether the particles in the jet are produced at the base of the jet near the black hole or injected from outside the jet. The project will train undergraduate STEM students in scientific data analysis and interpretation, make available a free textbook on extragalactic astronomy and cosmology written by the PI, and develop an exercise for college-level introductory astronomy classes.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.

该项目将研究耀变体，这是宇宙中最明亮的长寿天体，耀变体的动力来自恒星和星际气体云，这些物质落向某些星系中心的超大质量黑洞。该孔会产生高能粒子射流和以接近光速向外流动的磁场，该项目将有助于解释（1）射流是如何形成和加速的，（2）辐射粒子是否主要是粒子。 “正常”物质或等量的物质和反物质，以及（3）喷流中含有多少能量，该项目将利用不同波长的多信使观测来探测近 40 个耀变体喷流中的物理状况。该项目还将通过在图书馆和高中的演讲来增进我们对宇宙极端条件的理解，还将通过美国原住民学校的学生参观波士顿来促进对学生的科学培训。帕金斯大学望远镜、本科生参与数据分析和解释、提供由 PI 编写的河外天文学和宇宙学免费教科书，以及为大学水平的入门天文学课程开发练习。该奖项解决/推进了该项目的目标。宇宙大构想之窗。耀变体是由主动吸积的超大质量黑洞产生的磁化高能等离子体相对论射流的星系核。这项研究将提供描述特征所需的详细信息。耀变射流中的磁场模式与射流的动力学直接相关，这将通过在 43 和 86 GHz 微波频率的极高分辨率图像中以及整个过程中测量耀变射流的偏振来实现。从毫米波到 X 射线波长的耀变体线性偏振的交叉比较将追踪从大约 10 秒差距到 10 秒差距的磁场模式。亚秒差距尺度和有关导致耀变体极端光度和变化的粒子加速过程的测试假设，通过计算机模拟比较 43 和 86 GHz 线性和圆偏振将有助于确定反物质的相对量（正电子）和喷流的总动能，它控制着喷流对其银河环境的影响。反物质的数量决定了喷流中的粒子是否是在喷流的底部产生的。该项目将培训 STEM 本科生进行科学数据分析和解释，提供由 PI 编写的免费河外天文学和宇宙学教科书，并开发大学水平的练习。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标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

The IXPE View of GRB 221009A

GRB 221009A 的 IXPE 视图

• DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/acba17
• 发表时间: 2023-03
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal Letters
• 作者: Negro, Michela;Di Lalla, Niccolò;Omodei, Nicola;Veres, Péter;Silvestri, Stefano;Manfreda, Alberto;Burns, Eric;Baldini, Luca;Costa, Enrico;Ehlert, Steven R.;et al
• 通讯作者: et al

X-ray pulsar GRO J1008−57 as an orthogonal rotator

X 射线脉冲星 GRO J1008–57 作为正交旋转器

• DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202346134
• 发表时间: 2023-07
• 期刊: Astronomy & Astrophysics
• 影响因子: 6.5
• 作者: Tsygankov, Sergey S.;Doroshenko, Victor;Mushtukov, Alexander A.;Poutanen, Juri;Di Marco, Alessandro;Heyl, Jeremy;La Monaca, Fabio;Forsblom, Sofia V.;Malacaria, Christian;Marshall, Herman L.;et al
• 通讯作者: et al

Discovery of strongly variable X-ray polarization in the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary transient XTE J1701−462

中子星低质量 X 射线双星瞬变 XTE J1701–462 中发现强变 X 射线偏振

• DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202346275
• 发表时间: 2023-06
• 期刊: Astronomy & Astrophysics
• 影响因子: 6.5
• 作者: Cocchi, Massimo;Gnarini, Andrea;Fabiani, Sergio;Ursini, Francesco;Poutanen, Juri;Capitanio, Fiamma;Bobrikova, Anna;Farinelli, Ruben;Paizis, Adamantia;Sidoli, Lara;et al
• 通讯作者: et al

X-Ray Polarimetry Reveals the Magnetic-field Topology on Sub-parsec Scales in Tycho’s Supernova Remnant

X 射线偏振测量揭示了第谷超新星遗迹中亚差距尺度的磁场拓扑

• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/acb496
• 发表时间: 2023-01-18
• 期刊: The Astrophysical Journal
• 作者: R. Ferrazzoli;P. Slane;D. Prokhorov;P. Zhou;J. Vink;N. Bucciantini;E. Costa;N. Di Lalla;A. Di Marco;P. Soffitta;M. Weisskopf;K. Asakura;L. Baldini;J. Heyl;P. Kaaret;F. Marin;T. Mizuno;C. Ng;M. Pesce;S. Silvestri;C. Sgro’;D. Swartz;T. Tamagawa;Yi;I. Agudo;L. A. Antonelli;M. Bachetti;W. Baumgartner;R. Bellazzini;S. Bianchi;S. Bongiorno;R. Bonino;A. Brez;F. Capitanio;S. Castellano;E. Cavazzuti;Chien;S. Ciprini;A. De Rosa;E. Del Monte;L. Di Gesu;I. Donnarumma;V. Doroshenko;M. Dovčiak;S. Ehlert;T. Enoto;Y. Evangelista;S. Fabiani;Javier A. García;S. Gunji;K. Hayashida;W. Iwakiri;S. Jorstad;F. Kislat;V. Karas;T. Kitaguchi;J. Kolodziejczak;H. Krawczynski;F. La Monaca;L. Latronico;I. Liodakis;S. Maldera;A. Manfreda;A. Marinucci;A. Marscher;H. Marshall;G. Matt;I. Mitsuishi;F. Muleri;M. Negro;S. O’Dell;N. Omodei;C. Oppedisano;A. Papitto;G. Pavlov;A. L. Peirson;M. Perri;P. Petrucci;M. Pilia;A. Possenti;J. Poutanen;S. Puccetti;B. Ramsey;J. Rankin;A. Ratheesh;O. Roberts;R. Romani;G. Sp;re;re;F. Tavecchio;R. Taverna;Y. Tawara;A. Tennant;N. Thomas;F. Tombesi;A. Trois;S. Tsygankov;R. Turolla;K. Wu;F. Xie;S. Zane
• 通讯作者: S. Zane

Polarization constraints on the X-ray corona in Seyfert Galaxies: MCG-05-23-16

塞弗特星系中 X 射线日冕的偏振约束：MCG-05-23-16

• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stac2634
• 发表时间: 2022-10
• 期刊: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• 影响因子: 4.8
• 作者: Marinucci, A;Muleri, F;Dovciak, M;Bianchi, S;Marin, F;Matt, G;Ursini, F;Middei, R;Marshall, H L;Baldini, L;et al
• 通讯作者: et al