Quasars are the brightest objects in the distant Universe. The quasar optical emitting region is very small, ranging from a few light days to a few light years based on quasar variability studies. Such a small region is thousands times greater than much larger normal galaxies. What physical mechanism powers such a gigantic energy source? The answer is the accretion of surrounding materials to the central supermassive black hole. In addition to the accretion process, quasars may also produce winds/jets, which interact with surrounding interstellar medium to influence the host galaxy evolution. In this paper we will discuss the followings in detail: (1) discovery of quasars, (2) quasar power engine, (3) theoretical model of black hole accretion disk, (4) quasar jets, (5) the co-evolution of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies.
国家自然科学基金(11373008)
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图1
3C 273的光谱. 图片版权: Maarten Schmidt
图2
(网络版彩色)类星体标准模型示意图. 来源: Urry 2004
图3
(网络版彩色)SDSS J0100+2802是宇宙早期光度最高、黑洞质量最大的类星体. 图/李兆聿(中国科学院上海天文台)
吴学兵
北京大学物理学院天文学系教授, 科维理天文与天体物理研究所副所长. 1986年和1989年在华中师范大学物理学系获学士和硕士学位, 1996年在中国科学院北京天文台获理学博士学位, 1996年在中国科学院理论物理所做博士后. 1998年任中国科学院北京天文台副研究员. 曾在美国阿拉巴马大学和德国马普天体物理所访问. 自2000年在北京大学任教. 2004年入选教育部新世纪优秀人才计划, 2005年获国家杰出青年科学基金. 研究领域为类星体与活动星系核、黑洞天体物理. 研究成果入选2015年度中国科学十大进展.
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