Event-horizon-scale structure in the supermassive black hole candidate at the Galactic Centre

The cores of most galaxies are thought to harbour supermassive black holes, which power galactic nuclei by converting the gravitational energy of accreting matter into radiation. Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the compact source of radio, infrared and X-ray emission at the centre of the Milky Way, is the closest example of this phenomenon, with an estimated black hole mass that is 4,000,000 times that of the Sun. A long-standing astronomical goal is to resolve structures in the innermost accretion flow surrounding Sgr A*, where strong gravitational fields will distort the appearance of radiation emitted near the black hole. Radio observations at wavelengths of 3.5 mm and 7 mm have detected intrinsic structure in Sgr A*, but the spatial resolution of observations at these wavelengths is limited by interstellar scattering. Here we report observations at a wavelength of 1.3 mm that set a size of 37(+16)(-10) microarcseconds on the intrinsic diameter of Sgr A*. This is less than the expected apparent size of the event horizon of the presumed black hole, suggesting that the bulk of Sgr A* emission may not be centred on the black hole, but arises in the surrounding accretion flow.     

Near-infrared flares from accreting gas around the supermassive black hole at the Galactic Centre

Recent measurements of stellar orbits provide compelling evidence that the compact radio source Sagittarius A* (refs 4, 5) at the Galactic Centre is a 3.6-million-solar-mass black hole. Sgr A* is remarkably faint in all wavebands other than the radio region, however, which challenges current theories of matter accretion and radiation surrounding black holes. The black hole's rotation rate is not known, and therefore neither is the structure of space-time around it. Here we report high-resolution infrared observations of Sgr A* that reveal 'quiescent' emission and several flares. The infrared emission originates from within a few milliarcseconds of the black hole, and traces very energetic electrons or moderately hot gas within the innermost accretion region. Two flares exhibit a 17-minute quasi-periodic variability. If the periodicity arises from relativistic modulation of orbiting gas, the emission must come from just outside the event horizon, and the black hole must be rotating at about half of the maximum possible rate.     

Rapid X-ray flaring from the direction of the supermassive black hole at the Galactic Centre.

The nuclei of most galaxies are now believed to harbour supermassive black holes. The motions of stars in the central few light years of our Milky Way Galaxy indicate the presence of a dark object with a mass of about 2.6 x 106 solar masses (refs 2, 3). This object is spatially coincident with the compact radio source Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) at the dynamical centre of the Galaxy, and the radio emission is thought to be powered by the gravitational potential energy released by matter as it accretes onto a supermassive black hole. Sgr A* is, however, much fainter than expected at all wavelengths, especially in X-rays, which has cast some doubt on this model. The first strong evidence for X-ray emission was found only recently. Here we report the discovery of rapid X-ray flaring from the direction of Sgr A*, which, together with the previously reported steady X-ray emission, provides compelling evidence that the emission is coming from the accretion of gas onto a supermassive black hole at the Galactic Centre.     

A size of approximately 1 au for the radio source Sgr A* at the centre of the Milky Way

Although it is widely accepted that most galaxies have supermassive black holes at their centres, concrete proof has proved elusive. Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), an extremely compact radio source at the centre of our Galaxy, is the best candidate for proof, because it is the closest. Previous very-long-baseline interferometry observations (at 7 mm wavelength) reported that Sgr A* is approximately 2 astronomical units (au) in size, but this is still larger than the 'shadow' (a remarkably dim inner region encircled by a bright ring) that should arise from general relativistic effects near the event horizon of the black hole. Moreover, the measured size is wavelength dependent. Here we report a radio image of Sgr A* at a wavelength of 3.5 mm, demonstrating that its size is approximately 1 au. When combined with the lower limit on its mass, the lower limit on the mass density is 6.5 x 10(21)M(o) pc(-3) (where M(o) is the solar mass), which provides strong evidence that Sgr A* is a supermassive black hole. The power-law relationship between wavelength and intrinsic size (size proportional, variantwavelength(1.09)) explicitly rules out explanations other than those emission models with stratified structure, which predict a smaller emitting region observed at a shorter radio wavelength.     

缓变动态Kerr黑洞视界附近的辐射能通量和辐射功率

采用黑洞的薄膜模型和局域热平衡的假定,研究缓变动态Kerr黑洞视界附近的辐射能通量和辐射功率,得到了缓变动态Kerr黑洞的热辐射满足广义Stefan-Boltzmann定律的结论。当截断距离以及薄膜厚度取定后,Kerr黑洞视界附近标量场的辐射能通量与辐射功率不仅与黑洞的质量有关,还与黑洞的视界变化率有关,表明黑洞周围的引力场和视界的变化均对黑洞的热辐射产生影响。     

Observational evidence for the accretion-disk origin for a radio jet in an active galaxy

Accretion of gas onto black holes is thought to power the relativistic jets of material ejected from active galactic nuclei (AGN) and the 'microquasars' located in our Galaxy. In microquasars, superluminal radio-emitting features appear and propagate along the jet shortly after sudden decreases in the X-ray fluxes. This establishes a direct observational link between the black hole and the jet: the X-ray dip is probably caused by the disappearance of a section of the inner accretion disk as it falls past the event horizon, while the remainder of the disk section is ejected into the jet, creating the appearance of a superluminal bright spot. No such connection has hitherto been established for AGN, because of insufficient multi-frequency data. Here we report the results of three years of monitoring the X-ray and radio emission of the galaxy 3C120. As has been observed for microquasars, we find that dips in the X-ray emission are followed by ejections of bright superluminal knots in the radio jet. The mean time between X-ray dips appears to scale roughly with the mass of the black hole, although there are at present only a few data points.     

活动星系核吸积盘辐射的研究

在标准吸积盘辐射模型的基础上,考虑了不同的质量吸积率、不同的无量纲旋转参数a(中心黑洞为克尔黑洞)、最小稳定轨道半径处存在的约束(产生一个矩)和吸积盘表面磁场的存在(喷流辐射与吸积盘辐射之间存在一定的耦合)对吸积盘辐射的影响。结果表明,中心黑洞为正旋转的克尔黑洞比史瓦西黑洞辐射的峰值及峰值频率大,负旋转的克尔黑洞比史瓦西黑洞辐射的峰值及峰值频率小,质量吸积率越大峰值和峰值频率变大,无量纲黑洞旋转参数a越大峰值与峰值频率越大,喷流辐射能量和吸积盘辐射能量之比越大峰值和峰值频率越小,辐射效率越大峰值和峰值频率越大。     

一个稳态轴对称非Kerr黑洞时空中的粒子能级与非热辐射

黑洞质量多极矩的存在和裸奇点的出现对视界附近的粒子能级分布产生强烈的影响，在非Keer黑洞视界附近有正、负能级交错区，其粒子能级交错区与稳态Kerr黑洞时空中的情形不同，稳态非Kerr黑洞的非热辐射与质量多极矩有关。     

Vaidya黑洞周围时空中Dirac粒子的辐射谱及Wien位移定律

利用Vaidya黑洞Dirac场的瞬时辐出度，导出黑洞的辐射谱及Wien位移定律．结果表明黑洞的辐射谱不仅与黑洞的视界温度有关，还与黑洞的质量及视界的变化率有关．因辐射粒子的种类不同，导出的两类粒子的Wien位移定律略有不同．     

The accelerations of stars orbiting the Milky Way's central black hole

Recent measurements of the velocities of stars near the centre of the Milky Way have provided the strongest evidence for the presence of a supermassive black hole in a galaxy, but the observational uncertainties poorly constrain many of the black hole's properties. Determining the accelerations of stars in their orbits around the centre provides much more precise information about the position and mass of the black hole. Here we report measurements of the accelerations of three stars located approximately 0.005 pc (projected on the sky) from the central radio source Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*); these accelerations are comparable to those experienced by the Earth as it orbits the Sun. These data increase the inferred minimum mass density in the central region of the Galaxy by an order of magnitude relative to previous results, and localize the dark mass to within 0.05 +/- 0.04 arcsec of the nominal position of Sgr A*. In addition, the orbital period of one of the observed stars could be as short as 15 years, allowing us the opportunity in the near future to observe an entire period.     

变加速直线运动带电黑洞的非热效应

利用弯曲时空中标量粒子运动的Hamilton-Jacobin方程,研究了变加速直线运动带电黑洞周围时空中的自发辐射.得到了自发辐射的能量条件,它不仅依赖于黑洞的质量、电荷和加速度,还与黑洞视界的变化有关,与黑洞视界附近的四维电磁势有关.     

Vaidya-Bonner黑洞的瞬时辐出度

利用Vaidya--Bonner黑洞视界面附近的熵密度，导出黑洞的瞬时辐出度，得到了任一时刻黑洞的瞬时辐出度总是正比于黑洞视界温度的四次方的结论。导出的广义Stefan—Boltzmann系数不再是一个恒量，而是一个与黑洞视界的变化率、黑洞视界面附近的时空度规及黑洞的吸收与辐射系数有关的一个动比例系数。揭示了黑洞周围的引力场与其热辐射之间存在着必然的内在联系。     

考察Kerr-Newman黑洞事件视界的稳定性

建立了一个假想实验来考察Kerr－Newman黑洞事件视界的稳定性．作者试图靠掉入试验粒子来增加黑洞的角动量和电量，从而破坏黑洞的极限条件．但是无论试验粒子出发点离黑洞远近怎样，任何破坏黑洞事件视界稳定性的过程都被禁止Kerr－Newman黑洞的事件视界是稳定的．     

起源于引力场的Vaidya-Bonner-de Sitter黑洞的瞬时辐出度

利用Vaidya-Bonner-de S itter黑洞视界面附近的熵密度,导出黑洞的瞬时辐出度,得到了任一时刻黑洞的瞬时辐出度总是正比于黑洞视界温度四次方的结论。导出的广义Stefan-Boltzm ann系数不再是一个恒量,而是一个与黑洞视界的变化率、黑洞视界面附近的时空度规及黑洞的吸收与辐射系数有关的一个动比例系数,揭示了黑洞周围的引力场与其热辐射之间存在着必然的内在联系。     

带电Schwarzchild黑洞视界表面引力及Hawking辐射温度

黑洞视界表面附近由于量子效应产生Hawking辐射。本文计算了一个带电Schwarzchild黑 洞视界表面产生的Hawking辐射温度,以及Hawking辐射温度与质量之间的关系。     

对银河系中心超大质量黑洞候选体Sgr A*的VLBI观测研究

位于银河系中央的极其致密的非热射电源Sagittari8us A^*（Sgr A^*），被公认为最佳的超大质量黑洞候选体，其质量约为400万个太阳质量。甚长基线干涉测量（BLBI）技术以其独有的高空间分辩率为我们提供了唯一可以探讨Sgr A^*位于几个史瓦西（Schwarzschild）半径区域内天体物理性质的手段。介绍了对 Sgr A^*的VLBI研究现状和最新进展，着重论述了毫米波和亚毫米波VLBI观测对研究Sgr A^*的辐射区域的真实形状和大小，以及探索其结构随时间变化的重要性。Sgr A^*无疑是检验广义相对论将就的亚亮米波VLBI实验的最佳目标。     

变加速直线运动带电黑洞的瞬时辐出度

利用变加速直线运动带电黑洞视界面附近的熵密度,导出黑洞的瞬时辐出度,得到了任一时刻黑洞沿某一方向的瞬时辐出度总是正比于在该方向上黑洞视界温度4次方的结论。导出的广义Stefan-Boltnnann系数不再是一个恒量,而是一个与黑洞视界的变化率、黑洞视界面附近的时空度规及黑洞的吸收与辐射系数有关的一个动比例系数。揭示了黑洞周围的引力场与其热辐射之间存在着必然的内在联系。     

Vaidya-Bonner黑洞的自发辐射

利用弯曲时空中标量粒子运动的Hamilton Jacobin方程 ,研究Vaidya Bonner黑洞周围时空的自发辐射 ,得到了自发辐射的能量条件。它不仅依赖于黑洞的质量、电荷 ,还与黑洞视界的变化有关。     

任意加速带电动态黑洞的广义Stefan-Boltzmann定律

利用任意加速带电动态黑洞视界面附近子系统的熵,导出黑洞的瞬时辐出度,得到了任一时刻黑洞沿某一方向的瞬时辐出度总是正比于在该方向上黑洞视界温度的四次方的结论.导出的广义Stefan-Boltzmann系数是一个与黑洞视界的变化率、黑洞视界面附近的时空度规及黑洞的吸收与辐射系数有关的动比例系数.     

银河系中心超大质量黑洞Sgr A＊的光变研究进展

越来越多的观测证据表明,位于银河系中心的致密射电源SgrA*是一个质量约为400万个太阳质量的超大质量黑洞.本文介绍在射电、毫米/亚毫米、近红外、X射线波段对Sgr A*的光变观测和理论研究进展.自1974年被射电干涉测量发现伊始,Sgr A*就被检测到时标从天到年不等的射电光变,随着新的观测设备的出现和观测技术的发展,天文学家先后在所有的对银河系中心可观测波段上检测到了Sgr A*的光变,包括在毫米/亚毫米波段的时标为小时的快速光变,近红外波段上时标不到1 h的显著光变,以及空间X射线卫星记录到的幅度变化几十倍以上的巨大耀变.这些光变观测数据可以用于估算产生Sgr A*耀变辐射的区域范围(假设光变是由整个源产生的,辐射区域的尺度/与光变时标τ之间存在线性关系,/≤Cr),并对Sgr A*辐射机制研究提供了间接的限制.近年来开展的一些多波段联测显示,近红外和×射线光变是同步发生的,并且都比射电和毫米波光变先出现,这类时间延迟支持Sgr A*光变的绝热膨胀理论模型.但目前成功的多波段耀变观测非常有限,如何获得从射电厘米波到X射线的Sgr A*光变间的内在关联将是未来几年中Sgr A*光变的一个主要研究方向.