Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/217456

Title

Breaking the law: the M bh-M spheroid relations for core-Sersic and Sersic galaxies

Author(s)

Graham, Alister W.

Abstract

The popular log-linear relation between supermassive black hole mass, M bh, and the dynamical mass of the host spheroid, M sph, is shown to require a significant correction. Core galaxies, typically with M bh 2 × 108 M ☉ and thought to be formed in dry merger events, are shown to be well described by a linear relation for which the median black hole mass is 0.36%—roughly double the old value of constancy. Of greater significance is that M bhM 2 sph among the (non-pseudobulge) lower-mass systems: specifically, log [M bh/M ☉] = (1.92 ± 0.38)log [M sph/7 × 1010 M ☉] + (8.38 ± 0.17). 'Classical' spheroids hosting a 106 M ☉ black hole will have M bh/M sph ~ 0.025%. These new relations presented herein (1) bring consistency to the relation M bhσ5 and the fact that Lσ x with exponents of 5 and 2 for bright (MB & 8211;20.5 mag) and faint spheroids, respectively, (2) mimic the non-(log-linear) behavior known to exist in the M bh-(Sérsic n) diagram, (3) necessitate the existence of a previously overlooked M bhL 2.5 relation for Sérsic (i.e., not core-Sérsic) galaxies, and (4) resolve past conflicts (in mass prediction) with the M bh-σ relation at the low-mass end. Furthermore, the bent nature of the M bh-M sph relation reported here for 'classical' spheroids will have a host of important implications that, while not addressed in this paper, relate to (1) galaxy/black hole formation theories, (2) searches for the fundamental, rather than secondary, black hole scaling relation, (3) black hole mass predictions in other galaxies, (4) alleged pseudobulge detections, (5) estimates of the black hole mass function and mass density based on luminosity functions, (6) predictions for space-based gravitational wave detections, (7) connections with nuclear star cluster scaling relations, (8) evolutionary studies over different cosmic epochs, (9) comparisons and calibrations matching inactive black hole masses with low-mass active galactic nucleus data, and more.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Information and Communication Technologies. Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing

Source

Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 746, no. 1 (Feb 2012), article no. 113

Publication year

2012

FOR Code(s)

0201 Astronomical and Space Sciences;  0305 Organic Chemistry;  0306 Physical Chemistry (Incl. Structural)

Keyword(s)

Black hole physics;  Core galaxies;  Galaxy evolution;  Nuclei;  Sersic galaxies

Publisher

Institute of Physics Publishing

ISSN

0004-637X

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/746/1/113

Copyright

Copyright © 2012 The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. The American Astronomical Society does not allow Swinburne Research Bank to archive either the accepted manuscript or the published version of the article. However you can find an earlier version of the full text here: http://arxiv.org/abs/1202.1878.

Research Projects

The hearts of galaxies, Australian Research Council grant number FT110100263
Massive black holes in dense star clusters, Australian Research Council grant number DP110103509

Peer reviewed