Toward the event horizon with Astro-H

与 Astro-H 一起走向事件视界

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-03639
• 负责人: Gallo, Luigi
• 金额: $ 3.86万
• 依托单位: Saint Mary's University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=612473
• 关键词: Toward; event; horizon; Astro

A supermassive black hole that is millions or even billions of times more massive than the Sun resides at the centres of most galaxies. Some of these monsters are so active that they can make the surrounding material shine brighter than all the stars in its host galaxy. The material closest to the black hole, just as it is about to plunge beyond the event horizon, is subjected to the most violent conditions in the Universe. The extreme gravity of the black hole can tear stars apart and fling matter around at velocities close to the speed of light before it is finally ingested. Sometimes this material can be thrown out so violently that it is completely ejected from the black hole region and hurled back into the galactic neighbourhood where it may have a resounding effect on the conditions in the host galaxy. The matter closest to the black hole is heated to millions of degrees or even hotter, and it radiates at X-ray energies. X-ray observations of these active galactic nuclei (AGN) may be the only way to study the exotic physics at work in the black hole environment. What does the environment look like? Is the black hole growing? Is it spinning? What is the material that is falling into the black hole made of? How does gravity distort this material? What effects does the black hole have on its host galaxy that is made up of normal stars and planets? These are only a few of the questions that my team will be tackling over the course of this work. Canada has invested $8M to develop technology, the Canadian Astro-H Metrology System (CAMS), for the next generation international X-ray mission called Astro-H. The space mission will launch in Winter 2015 and will carry with it the most innovative instruments for studying AGN. Astro-H will have the most superior energy resolution available in X-rays providing the means to determine the composition of the material around black holes, and the direction and velocity at which it is moving. Astro-H will have the potential to simultaneously collect the lowest- and the highest-energy X-rays. This capability will be utilised to determine the geometry in the black hole environment and even establish if the black hole is spinning. For Canada’s technical contribution, our students will have proprietary access to new black hole data from Astro-H. Our Canadian students will be the ones answering the fundamental questions posed by this research programme. We are building capacity and knowledge in a new area of research for Canada – one that requires technology development to confront Nature’s most exotic creatures.

一个超级质量的黑洞，比大多数星系中心的太阳住宅高数百万甚至数十亿倍。这些怪物中的一些是如此活跃，以至于它们可以使周围的材料比主机银河系中的所有星星更亮。最接近黑洞的材料，即将撞到事件视野之外，遭受了宇宙中最暴力的条件。黑洞的极端重力会撕裂星星，并以接近光速的速度到处乱跑。有时，这种材料可以被猛烈地扔掉，以至于它完全从黑洞区域弹出，然后将其抬回银河街区，在那里它可能会对宿主银河系中的条件产生巨大的影响。最接近黑洞的物质被加热到数百万度甚至更热，并且在X射线能量下辐射。 对这些主动银河核（AGN）的X射线观察可能是研究黑洞环境中工作中外来物理学的唯一途径。环境是什么样的？黑洞生长吗？是旋转吗？掉入黑洞的材料是什么？重力如何扭曲这种材料？黑洞对由普通恒星和行星组成的宿主星系有什么影响？这些只是我团队在这项工作过程中要解决的几个问题。 加拿大已经投资了800万加元来开发技术，即加拿大Astro-H计量系统（CAMS），用于名为Astro-H的下一代国际X射线任务。太空任务将于2015年冬季启动，并将携带它是研究AGN的最具创新性的工具。 Astro-H将具有最优质的能量分辨率，可在X射线中使用，提供确定黑洞周围材料组成的手段，以及其移动的方向和速度。 Astro-H将有可能简单地收集最低和最高的X射线。该功能将用于确定黑洞环境中的几何形状，甚至确定黑洞是否在旋转。 为了获得加拿大的技术贡献，我们的学生将专有从Astro-H访问新的黑洞数据。我们的加拿大学生将是回答本研究计划提供的基本问题的人。我们正在为加拿大的新研究领域建立能力和知识，该领域需要技术开发才能面对大自然最奇特的生物。