Menus for Feeding Black Holes

Black holes are the ultimate prisons of the Universe, regions of spacetime where the enormous gravity prohibits matter or even light to escape to infinity. Yet, matter falling toward the black holes may shine spectacularly, generating the strongest source of radiation. These sources provide us with astrophysical laboratories of extreme physical conditions that cannot be realized on Earth. This chapter offers a review of the basic menus for feeding matter onto black holes and discusses their observational implications.     

Supermassive Black Holes and Galaxy Formation

The formation of supermassive black holes (SMBH) is intimately related to galaxy formation, although precisely how remains a mystery. I speculate that formation of, and feedback from, SMBH may alleviate problems that have arisen in our understanding of the cores of dark halos of galaxies.     

Measuring the Masses of Supermassive Black Holes

Supermassive black holes reside at the centers of most, if not all, massive galaxies: the difference between active and quiescent galaxies is due to differences in mass accretion rate and radiative efficiency rather than whether or not they have nuclear black holes. In this contribution, methods for measuring the masses of supermassive black holes are discussed, with emphasis on reverberation mapping which is most generally applicable to accreting supermassive black holes and, in particular, to distant quasars where time resolution can be used as a surrogate for angular resolution. Indirect methods based on scaling relationships from reverberation mapping studies are also discussed, along with their current limitations.     

Scaling Relations from Stellar to Supermassive Black Holes

Accretion is a ubiquitous phenomenon—it is seen in sources ranging from young stars to accreting supermassive black holes in the centres of galaxies. Here, we present the known empirical connections between stellar mass X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei. We argue that this implies that both the accretion disc and the jet are scale invariant with respect to the black hole mass. Finally, we show that also accretion discs and jets in sources with a different accretor can be connected empirically to accreting black holes, hinting towards a common mechanism of accretion in all sources.     

Mass Measurements of Stellar and Intermediate-Mass Black Holes

We discuss the method, and potential systematic effects therein, used for measuring the mass of stellar-mass black holes in X-ray binaries. We restrict our discussion to the method that relies on the validity of Kepler’s laws; we refer to this method as the dynamical method. We briefly discuss the implications of the mass distribution of stellar-mass black holes and provide an outlook for future measurements. Further, we investigate the evidence for the existence of intermediate-mass black holes i.e. black holes with masses above 100 M_⊙, the limit to the black hole mass that can be produced by stellar evolution in the current Universe.     

Observational Appearance of Black Holes in X-Ray Binaries and AGN

Accretion onto black holes powers most luminous compact sources in the Universe. Black holes are found with masses extending over an extraordinary broad dynamic range, from several to a few billion times the mass of the Sun. Depending on their position on the mass scale, they may manifest themselves as X-ray binaries or active galactic nuclei. X-ray binaries harbor stellar mass black holes—endpoints of the evolution of massive stars. They have been studied by X-ray astronomy since its inception in the early 60-ies, however, the enigma of the most luminous of them—ultra-luminous X-ray sources, still remains unsolved. Supermassive black holes, lurking at the centers of galaxies, are up to hundreds of millions times more massive and give rise to the wide variety of different phenomena collectively termed “Active Galactic Nuclei”. The most luminous of them reach the Eddington luminosity limit for a few billions solar masses object and are found at redshifts as high as z≥5–7. Accretion onto supermassive black holes in AGN and stellar- and (possibly) intermediate mass black holes in X-ray binaries and ultra-luminous X-ray sources in star-forming galaxies can explain most, if not all, of the observed brightness of the cosmic X-ray background radiation. Despite the vast difference in the mass scale, accretion in X-ray binaries and AGN is governed by the same physical laws, so a degree of quantitative analogy among them is expected. Indeed, all luminous black holes are successfully described by the standard Shakura-Sunyaev theory of accretion disks, while the output of low-luminosity accreting black holes in the form of mechanical and radiative power of the associated jets obeys to a unified scaling relation, termed as the “fundamental plane of black holes”. From that standpoint, in this review we discuss formation of radiation in X-ray binaries and AGN, emphasizing their main similarities and differences, and examine our current knowledge of the demographics of stellar mass and supermassive black holes.     

An Overview of Jets and Outflows in Stellar Mass Black Holes

In this article, we will briefly review the current empirical understanding of the relation between accretion state and outflows in accreting stellar mass black holes. The focus will be on the empirical connections between X-ray states and relativistic (‘radio’) jets, although we are now also able to draw accretion disc winds into the picture in a systematic way. We will furthermore consider the latest attempts to measure/order jet power, and to compare it to other (potentially) measurable quantities, most importantly black hole spin.     

Massive Binary Black Holes in Galactic Nuclei and Their Path to Coalescence

Massive binary black holes (10⁵ M_⊙–10⁹ M_⊙) form at the centre of galaxies that experience a merger episode. They are expected to coalesce into a larger black hole, following the emission of gravitational waves. Coalescing massive binary black holes are among the loudest sources of gravitational waves in the Universe, and the detection of these events is at the frontier of contemporary astrophysics. Understanding the black hole binary formation path and dynamics in galaxy’s mergers is therefore mandatory. A key question poses: during a merger, will the black holes descend over time on closer orbits, form a Keplerian binary and coalesce shortly after? Here we review progress discussing the fate of black holes in different environments: from major mergers of collisionless galaxies to major and minor mergers of gas-rich disc galaxies, from smooth and clumpy circum-nuclear discs to circum-binary discs present on the smallest scales inside galactic nuclei.     

Supermassive Black Holes in Galactic Nuclei: Past, Present and Future Research

This review discusses the current status of supermassive black hole research, as seen from a purely observational standpoint. Since the early ‘90s, rapid technological advances, most notably the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the commissioning of the VLBA and improvements in near-infrared speckle imaging techniques, have not only given us incontrovertible proof of the existence of supermassive black holes, but have unveiled fundamental connections between the mass of the central singularity and the global properties of the host galaxy. It is thanks to these observations that we are now, for the first time, in a position to understand the origin, evolution and cosmic relevance of these fascinating objects.This revised version was published online in July 2005 with a corrected cover date.     

Modelling Spectral and Timing Properties of Accreting Black Holes: The Hybrid Hot Flow Paradigm

The general picture that emerged by the end of 1990s from a large set of optical and X-ray, spectral and timing data was that the X-rays are produced in the innermost hot part of the accretion flow, while the optical/infrared (OIR) emission is mainly produced by the irradiated outer thin accretion disc. Recent multiwavelength observations of Galactic black hole transients show that the situation is not so simple. Fast variability in the OIR band, OIR excesses above the thermal emission and a complicated interplay between the X-ray and the OIR light curves imply that the OIR emitting region is much more compact. One of the popular hypotheses is that the jet contributes to the OIR emission and even is responsible for the bulk of the X-rays. However, this scenario is largely ad hoc and is in contradiction with many previously established facts. Alternatively, the hot accretion flow, known to be consistent with the X-ray spectral and timing data, is also a viable candidate to produce the OIR radiation. The hot-flow scenario naturally explains the power-law like OIR spectra, fast OIR variability and its complex relation to the X-rays if the hot flow contains non-thermal electrons (even in energetically negligible quantities), which are required by the presence of the MeV tail in Cyg X-1. The presence of non-thermal electrons also lowers the equilibrium electron temperature in the hot flow model to ?100 keV, making it more consistent with observations. Here we argue that any viable model should simultaneously explain a large set of spectral and timing data and show that the hybrid (thermal/non-thermal) hot flow model satisfies most of the constraints.     

寻找一个好制度--高校教师职称评审中实行贡献排序法的研究(一)

职称是衡量教师学识、才能、业绩和贡献的一种标志,也是决定教师待遇与收入的基本依据.目前绝大多数高校在职称评审方法上不科学,标准也不完善,由此带来的怨愤、摩擦、冲突非常普遍,甚至还发生过一些悲剧.现行职称评审制度存在着一些不够完善之处,急需修正.     

Searching for periods in sources with rare pulses

The problem of discovery and estimation of a period that slowly changes in time is considered, for the case when the pulses are rare. Several criteria are proposed on the basis of which a multilevel algorithm for period detection is constructed. The reliability and precision of the period determination are investigated, also considering the correlated errors of corresponding values of criteria.     

尘笼零件密集群孔的激光加工

针对高支纱纺机上的关键零件--圆筒形尘笼上的密集群孔激光加工,对比了脉冲冲击打孔和旋切打孔的特点,从工艺方式、工艺参数确定、装夹方式选择等不同方面进行了对比试验,确定了该零件的激光加工工艺路线,得到了加工的最佳频率、脉宽、能量、切割速度、辅助气体气压和零件装夹方式,最终解决了加工中遇到的一系列问题.     

高精度旋转密集钻孔方法

采用预先计算和定点钻孔的方法,用普通分度头钻出位置度要求很高的旋转密集孔。     

精密盲孔珩磨工具设计技巧

介绍了影响盲孔珩磨精度的问题所在,根据平衡力矩原理,设计带有补偿油石磨损差值的珩磨工具,实现了在油石上下超程不相等的条件下,达到了对孔各部位的等量切削。     

Searching tracks

Search theory is the discipline that studies the problem of how best to search for an object when the amount of searching efforts is limited and only probabilities of the possible position of the object are given. Then, the problem is to find the optimal distribution of this total effort that maximizes the probability of detection. Although the general formalism of search theory will be used subsequently, we consider now a radically different problem. The problem is to detect target tracks. In the "classical" search theory, the target is said detected if a detection occurs during any time of the time frame. Here, on the contrary, the target track will be said to be detected if elementary detections occur at various times. That means that there is a test for acceptance (or detection) of a target track and that the problem is to optimize the allocation of the search effort for track detection. So, specific optimization problems are solved by means of the primal-dual formalism, in an original setup. Other aspects concern Markovian targets and two-sided search for which simple and efficient algorithms are derived.     

止裂孔尺寸对止裂效果影响的研究

当航空器结构在航线使用过程中出现疲劳裂纹损伤时,通常在裂纹尖端打止裂孔进行临时性修理。通过理论分析和计算及试验分析,研究了止裂孔尺寸对止裂效果的影响。结果表明,当航空器结构出现疲劳裂纹损伤时,采用5.57～7.14mm直径的止裂孔进行止裂修理,止裂效果较好;当止裂孔直径为6.35mm时,止裂效果最好。     

激光加工密集群孔技术

主要介绍了混合器壳体上小孔的激光加工方法和激光制孔工艺参数的选择 ,对激光工艺的加工效果进行了分析。     

Soho Observations of Density Fluctuations in Coronal Holes

In recent UVCS/SOHO White Light Channel (WLC) observations we found quasi-periodic variations in the polarized brightness (pB) in the polar coronal holes at heliocentric distances of 1.9 to 2.45 solar radii. The motivation for the observation is the 2.5D MHD model of solar wind acceleration by nonlinear waves, that predicts compressive fluctuations in coronal holes. In February 1998 we performed new observations using the UVCS/WLC in the coronal hole and obtained additional data. The new data corroborate our earlier findings with higher statistical significance. The new longer observations show that the power spectrum peaks in the 10–12 minute range. These timescales agree with EIT observations of brightness fluctuations in polar plumes. We performed preliminary LASCO/C2 observations in an effort to further establish the coronal origin of the fluctuations. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.