Galaxy mergers and active nuclei. I. The luminosity function. II. Cosmological evolution

Journal Article · Mon Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1985 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/163314· OSTI ID:5573855

Roos, N

Theoretical models of active-galactic-nucleus (AGN) formation in galaxies with massive central black holes by the repopulation of stellar loss-cone orbits during galaxy mergers are investigated. A local AGN bolometric luminosity function is calculated for galaxies with Galaxy-like nuclear density distributions using a merging rate based on the two-point correlation function of galaxies and shown to be qualitatively similar to the observed luminosity functions in the visible, X-ray, and radio bands, with a power-law index of -1.4 at high luminosity and a break at radio luminosity about 10 to the 44th erg/s (corresponding to an interacting-galaxy mass ratio greater than 20). The cosmological evolution of the galaxy merging rate is considered, assuming galaxy formation at z = about 3 and galactic-stellar-luminosity-dependent evolution, and found to be faster at the bright end of the galaxy luminosity function. The merger rate outside rich clusters in an expanding universe is found to vary as the inverse of cosmic time. 78 references.

• Research Organization: Leiden Rijksuniversiteit, Sterrewacht, Netherlands
• OSTI ID: 5573855
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophys. J.; (United States) Vol. 294; ISSN ASJOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640103* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Quasi-Stellar
Radio
& X-Ray Sources-- (-1987)
640105 -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Galaxies
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BLACK HOLES
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
COSMOLOGY
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXIES
GALAXY CLUSTERS
GALAXY NUCLEI
LUMINOSITY
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
QUASARS
RADIO GALAXIES
RED SHIFT
SEYFERT GALAXIES