No Arabic abstract
We present a sample of $X$-ray selected candidate black holes in 51 low mass galaxies with $zle 0.055$ {and mass up to $10^{10}$ M$_{odot}$} obtained by cross-correlating the NASA-SLOAN Atlas with the 3XMM catalogue. {We have also searched in the available catalogues for radio counterparts of the black hole candidates and find that 19 of the previously selected sources have also a radio counterpart.} Our results show that about $37%$ of the galaxies of our sample host { an $X$-ray source} (associated to a radio counterpart) spatially coincident with the galaxy center, in agreement with { other recent works}. For these {it nuclear} sources, the $X$-ray/radio fundamental plane relation allows one to estimate the mass of the (central) candidate black holes which results to be in the range $10^{4}-2times10^{8}$ M$_{odot}$ (with median value of $simeq 3times 10^7$ M$_{odot}$ and eight candidates having mass below $10^{7}$ M$_{odot}$). This result, while suggesting that $X$-ray emitting black holes in low-mass galaxies may have had a key role in the evolution of such systems, makes even more urgent to explain how such massive objects formed in galaxies. {Of course, dedicated follow-up observations both in the $X$-ray and radio bands, as well as in the optical, are necessary in order to confirm our results
A new sample of 204 low-mass black holes (LMBHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is presented with black hole masses in the range of (1-20) * 10^5 M_sun. The AGNs are selected from a systematic search among galaxies in the Seventh Data Release (DR 7) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), and careful analyses of their optical spectra and precise measurement of spectral parameters. Combining them with our previous sample selected from the SDSS DR 4 makes it the largest LMBH sample so far, totaling over 500 objects. Some of the statistical properties of the combined LMBH AGN sample are briefly discussed, in the context of exploring the low-mass end of the AGN population. Their X-ray luminosities follow the extension of the previously known correlation with the [O III] luminosity. The effective optical-to-X-ray spectral indices alpha_OX, albeit with a large scatter, are broadly consistent with the extension of the relation with the near-UV luminosity L_2500AA. Interestingly, a correlation of alpha_OX with black hole mass is also found in the sense that alpha_OX is statistically flatter (stronger X-ray relative to optical) for lower black hole mass. Only 26 objects, mostly radio loud, were detected in radio at 20 cm in the FIRST survey, giving a radio loud fraction of 4%. The host galaxies of LMBHs have stellar masses in the range of 10^8.8-10^12.4 M_sun and optical colors typical of Sbc spirals. They are dominated by young stellar populations that seem to have undergone a continuous star formation history.
We present an expanded sample of low-mass black holes (BHs) found in galactic nuclei. Using standard virial mass techniques to estimate BH masses, we select from the Fourth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey all broad-line active galaxies with masses < 2 x 10^6 M_sun. BHs in this mass regime provide unique tests of the relationship between BHs and galaxies, since their late-type galaxy hosts do not necessarily contain classical bulges. Furthermore, they provide observational analogs of primordial seed BHs and are expected, when merging, to provide strong gravitational signals for future detectors such as LISA. From our preliminary sample of 19, we have increased the total sample by an order of magnitude to 174, as well as an additional 55 (less secure) candidates. The sample has a median BH mass of <M_BH> = 1.3 x 10^6 M_sun, and in general the objects are radiating at high fractions of their Eddington limits. We investigate the broad spectral properties of the sample; 55 are detected by rosat, with soft X-ray luminosities in the range 10^40 to 7 x 10^43 ergs/sec. Much like the preliminary sample, these objects are predominantly radio-quiet (R = f_6cm/f_4400A < 10), but 11 objects are detected at 20 cm, with radio powers (10^21-10^23 W/Hz) that may arise from either star formation or nuclear activity; only 1% of the sample is radio-loud. We further confirm that, with <M_g>=-19.3 and <g-r> = 0.7 mag, the host galaxies are low-mass, late-type systems. At least 40% show disk-like morphologies, and the combination of host galaxy colors and higher-order Balmer absorption lines indicate intermediate-age stellar populations in a subset of the sample.
During the last ~50 years, the population of black hole candidates in X-ray binaries has increased considerably with 59 Galactic objects detected in transient low-mass X-ray binaries, plus a few in persistent systems (including ~5 extragalactic binaries). We collect near-infrared, optical and X-ray information spread over hundreds of references in order to study the population of black holes in X-ray transients as a whole. We present the most updated catalogue of black hole transients, which contains X-ray, optical and near-infrared observations together with their astrometric and dynamical properties. It provides new useful information in both statistical and observational parameters providing a thorough and complete overview of the black hole population in the Milky Way. Analysing the distances and spatial distribution of the observed systems, we estimate a total population of ~1300 Galactic black hole transients. This means that we have already discovered less than ~5% of the total Galactic distribution. The complete version of this catalogue will be continuously updated online and in the Virtual Observatory, including finding charts and data in other wavelengths.
We generalize the Thomas-Fermi approach to galaxy structure to include self-consistently and non-linearly central supermassive black holes. This approach naturally incorporates the quantum pressure of the warm dark matter (WDM) particles and shows its full powerful and clearness in the presence of supermassive black holes (SPMHs). We find the main galaxy and central black hole magnitudes: halo radius r_h , halo mass M_h, black hole mass M_BH, velocity dispersion, phase space density, with their realistic astrophysical values, masses and sizes over a wide galaxy range. The SMBH masses arise naturally in this framework. Our extensive numerical calculations and detailed analytic resolution show that with SMBHs, both WDM regimes: classical (Boltzmann dilute) and quantum (compact) do necessarily co-exist in any galaxy: from the smaller and compact galaxies to the largest ones. The transition from the quantum to the classical region occurs precisely at the same point r_A where the chemical potential vanishes. A novel halo structure with three regions shows up: A small quantum compact core of radius r_A around the SMBH, followed by a less compact region till the BH influence radius r_i, and then for r> r_i the known halo galaxy shows up with its astrophysical size. Three representative families of galaxy plus central SMBH solutions are found and analyzed:small, medium and large galaxies having SMBH masses of 10^5, 10^7 and 10^9 M_sun respectively. A minimum galaxy size and mass ~ 10^7 M_sun larger than the one without SMBH is found. Small galaxies in the range 10^4 M_sun < M_h < 10^7 M_sun cannot harbor central SMBHs. We find novel scaling M_BH - r_h - M_h relations. The galaxy equation of state is derived: The pressure P(r) takes huge values in the SMBH vecinity and then sharply decreases entering the classical region following a local perfect gas behaviour.(Abridged)
The ngVLA will facilitate deep surveys capable of detecting the faint and compact signatures of accreting supermassive black holes (SMBHs) with masses below one million solar-masses hosted by low-mass ($< 10^9$ solar-masses) galaxies. This will provide important new insights on both the origins of supermassive black holes and the possible impact of active galactic nucleus-driven feedback in a currently unexplored mass regime.