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Register a new userThe Black Hole Mass Scale of Classical and Pseudo Bulges in Active Galaxies
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The mass estimator used to calculate black hole (BH) masses in broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs) relies on a virial coefficient (the $f$ factor) that is determined by comparing reverberation-mapped (RM) AGNs with measured bulge stellar velocity dispersions against the $M_{rm BH}-sigma_*$ relation of inactive galaxies. It has recently been recognized that only classical bulges and ellipticals obey a tight $M_{rm BH}-sigma_*$ relation; pseudobulges have a different zero point and much larger scatter. Motivated by these developments, we reevaluate the $f$ factor for RM AGNs with available $sigma_*$ measurements, updated H$beta$ RM lags, and new bulge classifications based on detailed decomposition of high-resolution ground-based and space-based images. Separate calibrations are provided for the two bulge types, whose virial coefficients differ by a factor of $sim 2$: $f=6.3pm1.5$ for classical bulges and ellipticals and $f = 3.2pm0.7$ for pseudobulges. The structure and kinematics of the broad-line region, at least as crudely encoded in the $f$ factor, seems to related to the large-scale properties or formation history of the bulge. Lastly, we investigate the bulge stellar masses of the RM AGNs, show evidence for recent star formation in the AGN hosts that correlates with Eddington ratio, and discuss the potential utility of the $M_{rm BH}-M_{rm bulge}$ relation as a more promising alternative to the conventionally used $M_{rm BH}-sigma_*$ relation for future refinement of the virial mass estimator for AGNs.
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Scaling relations between supermassive black hole mass, M_BH, and host galaxy properties are a powerful instrument for studying their coevolution. A complete picture involving all of the black hole scaling relations, in which each relation is consistent with the others, is necessary to fully understand the black hole-galaxy connection. The relation between M_BH and the central light concentration of the surrounding bulge, quantified by the Sersic index n, may be one of the simplest and strongest such relations, requiring only uncalibrated galaxy images. We have conducted a census of literature Sersic index measurements for a sample of 54 local galaxies with directly measured M_BH values. We find a clear M_BH - n relation, despite an appreciable level of scatter due to the heterogeneity of the data. Given the current M_BH - L_sph and the L_sph - n relations, we have additionally derived the expected M_BH - n relations, which are marginally consistent at the 2 sigma level with the observed relations. Elliptical galaxies and the bulges of disc galaxies are each expected to follow two distinct bent M_BH - n relations due to the Sersic/core-Sersic divide. For the same central light concentration, we predict that M_BH in the Sersic bulges of disc galaxies are an order magnitude higher than in Sersic elliptical galaxies if they follow the same M_BH - L_sph relation.
We study nine S0-Sb galaxies with (photometric) bulges consisting of two distinct components. The outer component is a flattened, kinematically cool, disklike structure: a disky pseudobulge. Embedded inside is a rounder, kinematically hot spheroid: a classical bulge. This indicates that pseudobulges and classical bulges are not mutually exclusive: some galaxies have both. The disky pseudobulges almost always have an exponential disk (scale lengths = 125-870 pc, mean $sim 440$ pc) with disk-related subcomponents: nuclear rings, bars, and/or spiral arms. They constitute 11-59% of the galaxy stellar mass (mean PB/T = 0.33), with stellar masses $sim 7 times 10^{9}$-$9 times 10^{10} M_{odot}$. Classical-bulge components have Sersic indices of 0.9-2.2, effective radii of 25-430 pc and stellar masses of $5 times 10^{8}$-$3 times 10^{10} M_{odot}$ (usually < 10% of the galaxys stellar mass; mean B/T = 0.06). The classical bulges show rotation, but are kinematically hotter than the disky pseudobulges. Dynamical modeling of three systems indicates that velocity dispersions are isotropic in the classical bulges and equatorially biased in the disky pseudobulges. In the mass--radius and mass--stellar mass density planes, classical-bulge components follow sequences defined by ellipticals and (larger) classical bulges. Disky pseudobulges also fall on this sequence; they are more compact than similar-mass large-scale disks. Although some classical bulges are quite compact, they are distinct from nuclear star clusters in both size and mass, and coexist with nuclear clusters in at least two galaxies. Since almost all the galaxies in this study are barred, they probably also host boxy/peanut-shaped bulges (vertically thickened inner parts of bars). NGC 3368 shows evidence for such a zone outside its disky pseudobulge, making it a galaxy with all three types of bulge.
We create a baseline of the black hole (BH) mass (MBH) - stellar-velocity dispersion (sigma) relation for active galaxies, using a sample of 66 local (0.02<z<0.09) Seyfert-1 galaxies, selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Analysis of SDSS images yields AGN luminosities free of host-galaxy contamination and morphological classification. 51/66 galaxies have spiral morphology. 28 bulges have Sersic index n<2 and are considered candidate pseudo bulges, with eight being definite pseudo bulges based on multiple classification criteria met. Only 4/66 galaxies show sign of interaction/merging. High signal-to-noise ratio Keck spectra provide the width of the broad Hbeta emission line free of FeII emission and stellar absorption. AGN luminosity and Hbeta line widths are used to estimate MBH. The Keck-based spatially-resolved kinematics is used to determine stellar-velocity dispersion within the spheroid effective radius. We find that sigma can vary on average by up to 40% across definitions commonly used in the literature, emphasizing the importance of using self-consistent definitions in comparisons and evolutionary studies. The MBH-sigma relation for our Seyfert-1 galaxies has the same intercept and scatter as that of reverberation-mapped AGNs as well as quiescent galaxies, consistent with the hypothesis that our single epoch MBH estimator and sample selection do not introduce significant biases. Barred galaxies, merging galaxies, and those hosting pseudo bulges do not represent outliers in the MBH-sigma relation. This is in contrast with previous work, although no firm conclusion can be drawn due to the small sample size and limited resolution of the SDSS images.
Black hole accretion is widely thought to influence star formation in galaxies, but the empirical evidence for a physical correlation between star formation rate (SFR) and the properties of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) remains highly controversial. We take advantage of a recently developed SFR estimator based on the [O II] $lambda3727$ and [O III] $lambda5007$ emission lines to investigate the SFRs of the host galaxies of more than 5,800 type 1 and 7,600 type 2 AGNs with $z < 0.35$. After matching in luminosity and redshift, we find that type 1 and type 2 AGNs have a similar distribution of internal reddening, which is significant and corresponds to $sim 10^9,M_odot$ of cold molecular gas. In spite of their comparable gas content, type 2 AGNs, independent of stellar mass, Eddington ratio, redshift or molecular gas mass, exhibit intrinsically stronger star formation activity than type 1 AGNs, in apparent disagreement with the conventional AGN unified model. We observe a tight, linear relation between AGN luminosity (accretion rate) and SFR, one that becomes more significant toward smaller physical scales, suggesting that the link between the AGN and star formation occurs in the central kpc-scale region. This, along with a correlation between SFR and Eddington ratio in the regime of super-Eddington accretion, can be interpreted as evidence that star formation is impacted by positive feedback from the AGN.
We discuss the critical importance of black hole mass indicators based on scaling relations in active galaxies. We highlight outstanding uncertainties in these methods and potential paths to substantial progress in the next decade.
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