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Title

Evolution in the black hole mass-bulge mass relation: a theoretical perspective

Author(s)

Croton, Darren J.

Abstract

We explore the growth of supermassive black holes and host galaxy bulges in the galaxy population using the Millennium Run Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) simulation coupled with a model of galaxy formation. We find that, if galaxy mergers are the primary drivers for both bulge and black hole growth, then in the simplest picture one should expect the mBH-mbulge relation to evolve with redshift, with a larger black hole mass associated with a given bulge mass at earlier times relative to the present day. This result is independent of an evolving cold gas fraction in the galaxy population. The evolution arises from the disruption of galactic discs during mergers that make a larger fractional mass contribution to bulges at low redshift than at earlier epochs. There is no comparable growth mode for the black hole population. Thus, this effect produces evolution in the mBH-mbulge relation that is driven by bulge mass growth and not by black holes.

Publication type

Journal article

Source

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 369, no. 4 (Jul 2006), pp. 1808-1812

Publication year

2006

FOR Code(s)

0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences

Keyword(s)

Active galaxies;  Black hole physics;  Cosmology;  Galaxy evolution;  Host galaxy bulges

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell

ISSN

0035-8711

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10429.x

Copyright

Copyright © 2006 The Authors. Journal compilation copyright © 2006 Royal Astronomical Society. Author's final draft reproduced here in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.

Full text

Peer reviewed