The masses of nuclear black holes in luminous elliptical galaxies and implications for the space density of the most massive black holes
Astrophysical Journal 662:2 I (2007) 808-834
Authors:
TR Lauer, SM Faber, D Richstone, K Gebhardt, S Tremaine, M Postman, A Dressler, MC Aller, AV Filippenko, R Green, LC Ho, J Kormendy, J Magorrian, J Pinkney
Abstract:
Black hole (BH) masses predicted from the M虈-蟽 relationship conflict with predictions from the M虈-L relationship for high-luminosity galaxies, such as brightest cluster galaxies (BCGs). The M虈-L relationship predicts that some BCGs may harbor BHs with M approaching 1010 M鈯�, while the M虈- 蟽 relationship always predicts M虈 < 3 脳 10 9 M鈯�. We argue that the M虈-L relationship is a plausible description for galaxies of high luminosity. If the cores in central stellar density are formed by binary BHs, the inner core cusp radius, r纬, may be an independent witness of M虈. Using central structural parameters derived from a large sample of early-type galaxies observed by HST, we argue that L is superior to 蟽 as an indicator of r纬. Further, the r纬-M虈 relationship for 11 core galaxies with measured M虈 appears to be consistent with the M虈-L relationship for BCGs. BCGs have large cores appropriate for their large luminosities that may be difficult to generate with the more modest BH masses inferred from the M虈-蟽 relationship. M虈 鈭� M would be expected for BCGs, if they were formed in dissipationless mergers, which should preserve the ratio of BH to stellar mass, M. This scenario appears to be consistent with the slow increase in a with L and the more rapid increase in effective radii with L seen in BCGs as compared to less luminous galaxies. If BCGs have large BHs commensurate with their luminosities, then the local BH mass function for M虈 > 3 脳 109 M鈯� ould be nearly an order of magnitude richer than that inferred from the M虈-蟽 relationship. The volume density of the most luminous QSOs may favor the M虈-L relationship. 漏 2007. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.