STFC Summer School 2007 Paul O’Brien X-ray & Observational Astronomy Group University of Leicester Previously at: University College London [PhD, UCL 1987: A study of the UV continuum of quasars] IUE Project, UCL/RAL University of Oxford University of Leicester XMM-Newton, Faulkes Telescopes & Swift Active Galactic Nuclei IUE Swift
Active Galactic Nuclei. IUE. Swift. Paul O’Brien X-ray & Observational Astronomy Group University of Leicester Previously at: University College London [PhD, UCL 1987: A study of the UV continuum of quasars] IUE Project, UCL/RAL University of Oxford University of Leicester - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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STFC Summer School 2007
Paul O’BrienX-ray & Observational Astronomy Group
University of Leicester
Previously at: University College London
[PhD, UCL 1987: A study of the UV continuum of quasars]
IUE Project, UCL/RAL
University of Oxford
University of Leicester XMM-Newton, Faulkes Telescopes & Swift
Active Galactic NucleiIUEIUE SwiftSwift
Active Galactic Nuclei
• A little history
• Taxonomy (split them up)
• Unification (join them together again)
• Mass, size and structure
AGN: an object with nuclear, non-stellar energetic phenomena.
Power-source: accretion disc feeding a massive black hole.
• Some outflows have a K.E. comparable to the radiation luminosity: are they common in the early Universe?
• Most SMBH mass probably assembled by luminous accretion. So perhaps built when the accretion rate is high/spin low?
• Over ~107 years X-ray outflows could deposit a total mechanical energy comparable to the binding energy of a Galactic bulge (~1052 J).
• Feedback between outflows and star formation??
What could outflows mean – the concept of “feedback”
STFC Summer School 2007
Interaction in action…the Ultraluminous IR Galaxies
IRAS revealed a large population of “Ultraluminous IR Galaxies”.
Star-formation rate 100-1000 xGalactic.
Most are interacting or highly disturbed.
SMBHs (and galaxies?) grow through accretion, SF, outflows all driven by mergers, shocks, galactic bars etc.
STFC Summer School 2007
How do we see into the heart of an AGN ?
Try radio interferometry
e.g. M87 , only ~18Mpc away (1" ~ 300 light-years)
But, we need to look in the optical/IR
STFC Summer School 2007
Magdalena Ridge Observatory, NM – 10 x 1.4m optical/IR telescopes with baselines up to 340m. On schedule for 2008/2009 start. Observe from 0.6-2.4 microns with spatial scale of 0.3-30 mas.
Creech-Eakman et al. 2006
VLTI – 4x8.2m + 4x1.8m Baselines up to 200m, ~10mas
Optical interferometry
STFC Summer School 2007AGN – The Future
• More data of all kinds + better models
• Deep surveys in sub-mm, IR, X-ray, etc. to find all the AGN
• High-resolution imaging in radio, optical, IR (e.g. SKA, VLTI, MRO)
Time-dependent, 3-D, MHD disc(torus) simulation (Hawley et al.)
UK astronomers have UKAFF – the UK Astrophysics Fluids Facility at Leicester – build your own disc, jet, black hole…