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Title: Supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. II. The correlation with near-infrared luminosity revisited

Abstract

We present an investigation of the scaling relations between supermassive black hole (SMBH) masses, M {sub •}, and their host galaxies' K-band bulge (L {sub bul}) and total (L {sub tot}) luminosities. The wide-field WIRCam imager at the Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope was used to obtain the deepest and highest resolution near-infrared images available for a sample of 35 galaxies with securely measured M {sub •}, selected irrespective of Hubble type. For each galaxy, we derive bulge and total magnitudes using a two-dimensional image decomposition code that allows us to account, if necessary, for large- and small-scale disks, cores, bars, nuclei, rings, envelopes, and spiral arms. We find that the present-day M {sub •}-L {sub bul} and M {sub •}-L {sub tot} relations have consistent intrinsic scatter, suggesting that M {sub •} correlates equally well with bulge and total luminosity of the host. Our analysis provides only mild evidence of a decreased scatter if the fit is restricted to elliptical galaxies. The log-slopes of the M {sub •}-L {sub bul} and M {sub •}-L {sub tot} relations are 0.75 ± 0.10 and 0.92 ± 0.14, respectively. However, while the slope of the M {sub •}-L {sub bul} relation depends on the detail ofmore » the image decomposition, the characterization of M {sub •}-L {sub tot} does not. Given the difficulties and ambiguities of decomposing galaxy images into separate components, our results indicate that L {sub tot} is more suitable as a tracer of SMBH mass than L {sub bul}, and that the M {sub •}-L {sub tot} relation should be used when studying the co-evolution of SMBHs and galaxies.« less

Authors:
;  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Max-Planck Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany)
  2. NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC V9E2E7 (Canada)
  3. GEPI Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Univ. Paris Diderot, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon (France)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22348324
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 780; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ARMS; BLACK HOLES; CORRELATIONS; DECOMPOSITION; EVOLUTION; GALAXIES; IMAGES; LUMINOSITY; MASS; NEAR INFRARED RADIATION; TELESCOPES; TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS

Citation Formats

Läsker, Ronald, Van de Ven, Glenn, Ferrarese, Laura, and Shankar, Francesco. Supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. II. The correlation with near-infrared luminosity revisited. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/780/1/70.
Läsker, Ronald, Van de Ven, Glenn, Ferrarese, Laura, & Shankar, Francesco. Supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. II. The correlation with near-infrared luminosity revisited. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/780/1/70
Läsker, Ronald, Van de Ven, Glenn, Ferrarese, Laura, and Shankar, Francesco. 2014. "Supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. II. The correlation with near-infrared luminosity revisited". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/780/1/70.
@article{osti_22348324,
title = {Supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. II. The correlation with near-infrared luminosity revisited},
author = {Läsker, Ronald and Van de Ven, Glenn and Ferrarese, Laura and Shankar, Francesco},
abstractNote = {We present an investigation of the scaling relations between supermassive black hole (SMBH) masses, M {sub •}, and their host galaxies' K-band bulge (L {sub bul}) and total (L {sub tot}) luminosities. The wide-field WIRCam imager at the Canada-France-Hawaii-Telescope was used to obtain the deepest and highest resolution near-infrared images available for a sample of 35 galaxies with securely measured M {sub •}, selected irrespective of Hubble type. For each galaxy, we derive bulge and total magnitudes using a two-dimensional image decomposition code that allows us to account, if necessary, for large- and small-scale disks, cores, bars, nuclei, rings, envelopes, and spiral arms. We find that the present-day M {sub •}-L {sub bul} and M {sub •}-L {sub tot} relations have consistent intrinsic scatter, suggesting that M {sub •} correlates equally well with bulge and total luminosity of the host. Our analysis provides only mild evidence of a decreased scatter if the fit is restricted to elliptical galaxies. The log-slopes of the M {sub •}-L {sub bul} and M {sub •}-L {sub tot} relations are 0.75 ± 0.10 and 0.92 ± 0.14, respectively. However, while the slope of the M {sub •}-L {sub bul} relation depends on the detail of the image decomposition, the characterization of M {sub •}-L {sub tot} does not. Given the difficulties and ambiguities of decomposing galaxy images into separate components, our results indicate that L {sub tot} is more suitable as a tracer of SMBH mass than L {sub bul}, and that the M {sub •}-L {sub tot} relation should be used when studying the co-evolution of SMBHs and galaxies.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/780/1/70},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22348324}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 1,
volume = 780,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}