XTE J1550-564 2001年“迷你爆发”的X射线能谱研究

黑洞X射线暂现源的迷你爆发是一类峰值光度较低、持续时间较短的爆发.由于观测数据较少,其物理机制仍不清楚.利用RXTE (Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer)卫星从2001年1月28日到3月14日的数据,研究了黑洞X射线暂现源XTE J1550–564 2001年迷你爆发的X射线能谱特性.发现在本次迷你爆发中, XTE J1550–564的X射线能谱可以用幂律谱很好地拟合.整个爆发的硬度强度图不是标准的q型,而是一直保持在最右侧.此外,还分析了此次爆发谱指数Γ与未吸收的2–10 keV能段的X射线流量F_(2–10 keV)的相关性,发现Γ-F_(2–10 keV)呈反相关关系,且谱指数Γ∈[1.35, 1.72].上述结果表明2001年这次爆发一直处于低/硬态,它的X射线辐射主要来自于辐射低效的吸积模式,如ADAF(Advection-Dominated Accretion Flow).     

Laser Interferometer Space Antenna double black holes: dynamics in gaseous nuclear discs

We study the inspiral of double black holes, with masses in the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna ( LISA ) window of detectability, orbiting inside a massive circumnuclear, rotationally supported gaseous disc. Using high-resolution smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations, we follow the black hole dynamics in the early phase when gas-dynamical friction acts on the black holes individually, and continue our simulation until they form a close binary. We find that in the early sinking the black holes lose memory of their initial orbital eccentricity if they corotate with the gaseous disc. As a consequence, the massive black holes bind forming a binary with a low eccentricity, consistent with zero within our numerical resolution limit. The cause of circularization resides in the rotation present in the gaseous background where dynamical friction operates. Circularization may hinder gravitational waves from taking over and leading the binary to coalescence. In the case of counter-rotating orbits, the initial eccentricity (if present) does not decrease, and the black holes may bind forming an eccentric binary. When dynamical friction has subsided, for equal mass black holes and regardless their initial eccentricity, angular momentum loss, driven by the gravitational torque exerted on the binary by surrounding gas, is nevertheless observable down to the smallest scale probed (≃1 pc). In the case of unequal masses, dynamical friction remains efficient down to our resolution limit, and there is no sign of formation of any ellipsoidal gas distribution that may further harden the binary. During inspiral, gravitational capture of gas by the black holes occurs mainly along circular orbits; eccentric orbits imply high relative velocities and weak gravitational focusing. Thus, the active galactic nucleus activity may be excited during the black hole pairing process and double active nuclei may form when circularization is completed, on distance scales of tens of parsecs.     

Probing the nuclear activity with supermassive black holes

We report three new or updated techniques for probing the parameters of active galaxies based on the masses of their central black holes M_BH). First, we derived a near-IR analog of the bulge luminosity versus M_BH relationship. The low scatter makes it a promising new tool to study the black hole demographics. Next, we present relations between M_BH and the10 μm and 2-10 keV nuclear luminosity. They may help to study the M_BH evolution over wide redshift ranges. Finally, we measured M_BH in quasars from z ∼ 3.4 to z ∼ 0.3 to search directly for M_BH growth. Surprisingly, we found no evidence for growth implying that the majority of quasar host galaxies have undergone their last major merger at z ≥ 3. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

γ射线暴研究概况

γ射线暴(简称γ暴)的研究自1997年以来由于余辉的发现而有了很大的突破。在此，对γ暴的观测作了简要的概述，而对γ暴的理论进展和存在问题进行了较为全面的评述，内容包括γ暴本身、余辉、能源机制、寄主星系、暴周环境、高能粒子和引力波辐射、宇宙学意义等。