AS1001:Extra-Galactic Astronomy
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AS1001:Extra-Galactic Astronomy Lecture 6: Galaxy Orientation, Black Holes & Quasars Simon Driver Theatre B [email protected] http://www-star.st-and.ac.uk/~spd3 Galaxy Inclination FACE-ON EDGE-ON o o Inclination=0 Inclination=90 b=Minor Axis Majority of galaxies are somewhere in between a=Major Axis Calculating the Inclination • Assuming galaxies are circular: b cos(i) = • Inclination, i, is given by: a b i a • a=b, i=0o • b=0, i=90o NB: a is always measurable Line-of-sight velocity When we measure the rotational velocity from a spectral line we need to correct for inclination. i vobs Line-of-sight velocity i v rot Hence if, i=90 , V = V obs rot VOBS VROT = i=0 , Vobs = 0 sin(i) Example A long slit spectrum aligned along a galaxy’s major axis indicates a variation in the OII line of 5A, The midpoint of the OII line is observed to be at 3900A and the major-to-minor axis ratio is 3. What is the rotational velocity of the outermost stars ? i = cos!1(1/ 3) = 70.50 Note: 5/2 A "# 2.5 V = c = !3!105 =192km / s OBS # 3900 V Note: λ=3900 V = OBS = 204km / s ROT sin(i) and not 3727 Black Holes Gravity is the curvature of space-time by matter. If sufficient mass exists in a small enough volume space- time is distorted such that even light cannot escape The Schwarzschild Radius • The radius at which even light cannot escape is known as the event horizon or Schwarzschild radius. • For a non-rotating black hole this is simply when the Kinetic Energy = Gravitational Energy for a photon 1 GMm mv2 = 2 r 1 GMm mc2 = 2 rS 2GM rS = 2 rs c Types of Black Hole • Normal – Formed from massive stars going supernovae MBH ~ 10M! • Super-massive – Formed in galaxy cores during initial collapse 7"9 MBH ~ 10 M! • Most galaxies are believed to harbour a super-massive black-hole in their cores Evidence for SMBHs • We find that stars have velocities of >110km/s within 2.5pc of the core of M31 Super-massive BH in M31 • IF they are in circular orbits we can use the Virial theorem to calculate the mass inside r v2r (110#103 )2 # 2.5#3#1016 M = = CORE G 6.67#10"11 37 6 MCORE =1.4#10 kg = 6.8#10 M! • In our Milky Way galaxy – Velocities > 1000 km/s inside 0.01 pc! 6 • => 2 x 10 Msun SMBH Quasars • Quasi-Stellar Objects (aka QSOs) • For many years “stars” with unknown spectral features were found but their nature unknown ! • In 1963 Martin Schmidt took a closer look and noticed these bright stellar-like objects have features consistent with very large redshifts (>> galaxies) ? • Hence QSOs are extra-galactic objects but: – Appear star-like (i.e., not extended but point-like) – Are more intrinsically luminous than galaxies (up to 105 more luminous; M ~ -26 mags) – Exhibit very broad emission line features (Δv ~ 10000 km/s) – Emit strongly in the X-ray (Synchrotron Radiation) A Quasars Energy Output • Unlike most astronomical objects QSOs show non-thermal spectra (thermal=Blackbody). • This is consistent with Synchrotron Radiation, this is produced by relativistic particles spiralling along magnetic field lines. The QSO Model SUPER-MASSIVE POLAR OUTFLOWS BLACK HOLE OF RELATIVISTIC PARTICLES ALONG MAGNETIC FIELD LINES (JETS) INFALLING STARS ACCRETION DISK CRUSHED BY OF CRUSHED GRAVITY FIELD STARS AND GAS Types of Active Galactic Nuclei • Very deep HST images show that QSOs are normally embedded in the cores of galaxies. • These cores are called Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) – If the AGN outshines the host galaxy = Quasar – If the AGN has radio lobes = Radio Galaxy – If the AGN luminosity equals host galaxy = Seyfert Galaxy – If the core shows high variability = Blazar WHY ? AGN Unification Current theory suggests all these AGN are due to the same process viewed from different orientations: Sees a BLAZAR Sees a Sees a RADIO QUASAR GALAXY Quasars in the Universe • Redshift surveys indicate that most quasars have z > 0.3 • In later lectures we’ll see that large redshifts means large distances or large “lookback times,” i.e., we are seeing objects as they looked when the Universe was very young • Nearest quasar is about 250 Mpc or 800 million light years from Earth • Therefore, no new quasars for ~ billion years • Quasars were common in the early Universe, then died out Galaxy Formation • It appears that every galaxy harbours a Super- Massive Black Hole and that when swallowing stars it results in an Active Galactic nucleus. • During a mad feeding frenzy the galaxy will temporarily become a Quasar which outshines the rest of the galaxy by a factor of 1000 or more. • SMBH, AGN activity, and Quasars may represent an integral and key clue to galaxy formation however the exact details remain to be discovered. SMBH Model/Observations MODEL OBSERVATIONS (NGC4261) Tutorial 2, Question 5 Density = Mass/Volume = n * MGal = n * LGal * MGal / LGal = n * LGal * 10 * Msun/Lsun = n * LGal/Lsun * 10 * Msun -0.4(MG-MS) = 10 * n * Msun * 10 Assume all galaxies have same mass and luminosity Mgal = Mass of a galaxy; Lgal = Galaxy luminosity Msun = mass of sun; Lsun =Sun’s luminosity MG = galaxy absolute magnitude MS = Sun’s absolute magnitude, use MS = 5.48 Super-massive BH in M31 • IF they are in circular orbits we can use the Virial theorem to calculate the mass inside r v2r (110#103 )2 # 2.5#3#1016 M = = CORE G 6.67#10"11 37 6 MCORE =1.4#10 kg = 6.8#10 M! • The escape velocity required to leave this region is therefore: 2GM v = r 2!6.67!10"11 !1.4!1037 • => SMBH ? v = 2.5!3!1016 v =160000 = 0.5c! Black Holes Evaporate Annihilation Particle escapes, removing E = mc2 Particle Anti-particle Creation Virtual Pair rs Black Holes Evaporate • Hawking Radiation unites gravity, thermodynamics and quantum dynamics • Black holes radiate with a temperature 3 hG M bh h c k T = 2 2 = 2 4! c rs 16! G M bh 2 4 • Luminosity is Lbh = 4" rs ! T 2 • Energy available is Ebh = M bhc • Black hole evaporates in time Tbh = Ebh / Lbh 15 • Mbh = 10 kg (Everest): Tbh = 15 billion years 62 • Mbh = 5M: Tbh = 10 years.