Active galaxies and radiative heating

Author(s):  
Jeremiah P. Ostriker ◽  
Luca Ciotti

There is abundant evidence that heating processes in the central regions of elliptical galaxies have both prevented large–scale cooling flows and assisted in the expulsion of metal rich gas. We now know that each such spheroidal system harbours in its core a massive black hole weighing ca. 0.13% of the mass in stars and also know that energy was emitted by each of these black holes with an efficiency exceeding 10% of its rest mass. Since, if only 0.5% of that radiant energy were intercepted by the ambient gas, its thermal state would be drastically altered, it is worth examining in detail the interaction between the out–flowing radiation and the equilibrium or inflowing gas. On the basis of detailed hydrodynamic computations we find that relaxation oscillations are to be expected with the radiative feedback quite capable of regulating both the growth of the central black hole and also the density and thermal state of the gas in the galaxy. Mechanical input of energy by jets may assist or dominate over these radiative effects. We propose specific observational tests to identify systems which have experienced strong bursts of radiative heating from their central black holes.

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S267) ◽  
pp. 262-262
Author(s):  
Javiera Guedes ◽  
Piero Madau ◽  
Lucio Mayer ◽  
Michael Kuhlen ◽  
Jürg Diemand ◽  
...  

AbstractThe coalescence of black hole binaries is a significant source of gravitational wave radiation. The typically asymmetric nature of this emission, which carries linear momentum, can result in the recoil of the black hole remnant with velocities in the range 100 < Vrecoil < 3750 km s−1. The detectability of recoiling massive black holes (MBH) as off-nuclear QSOs is tightly connected with the properties of the host galaxy, which determine the MBH's orbit and fuel reservoir. We present the results of N-body simulations of recoiling MBHs in high-resolution, non-axisymmetric potentials. We find that if the recoil velocities are high enough to reach regions of the galaxy dominated by the generally triaxial dark matter distribution, the return time is significantly extended when compared to a spherical distribution. We also perform simulations of recoiling MBHs traveling in gas merger remnants, where large amounts of gas have been funneled to the central regions, In this case, the MBHs remain within R<1 kpc from the center of the host even for high recoil velocities (Vrecoil = 1200 km s−1) due to the compactness of the remnant galaxy's nuclear disk. We discuss the implications of both scenarios for detectability.


2020 ◽  
Vol 498 (2) ◽  
pp. 2219-2238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Volonteri ◽  
Hugo Pfister ◽  
Ricarda S Beckmann ◽  
Yohan Dubois ◽  
Monica Colpi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Massive black hole (MBH) coalescences are powerful sources of low-frequency gravitational waves. To study these events in the cosmological context, we need to trace the large-scale structure and cosmic evolution of a statistical population of galaxies, from dim dwarfs to bright galaxies. To cover such a large range of galaxy masses, we analyse two complementary simulations: horizon-AGN with a large volume and low resolution that tracks the high-mass ($\gt 10^7\, {\rm M_\odot }$) MBH population, and NewHorizon with a smaller volume but higher resolution that traces the low-mass ( $\lt 10^7\, {\rm M_\odot }$) MBH population. While Horizon-AGN can be used to estimate the rate of inspirals for pulsar timing arrays, NewHorizon can investigate MBH mergers in a statistical sample of dwarf galaxies for LISA, which is sensitive to low-mass MBHs. We use the same method to analyse the two simulations, post-processing MBH dynamics to account for time delays mostly determined by dynamical friction and stellar hardening. In both simulations, MBHs typically merge long after galaxies do, so that the galaxy morphology at the time of the MBH merger is no longer determined by the structural disturbances engendered by the galaxy merger from which the MBH coalescence has originated. These time delays cause a loss of high-z MBH coalescences, shifting the peak of the MBH merger rate to z ∼ 1–2. This study shows how tracking MBH mergers in low-mass galaxies is crucial to probing the MBH merger rate for LISA and investigate the properties of the host galaxies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 489 (1) ◽  
pp. 1373-1378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kastytis Zubovas ◽  
Andrew King

Abstract Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) probably control the growth of their host galaxies via feedback in the form of wide-angle wind-driven outflows. These establish the observed correlations between supermassive black hole (SMBH) masses and host galaxy properties, e.g. the spheroid velocity dispersion σ. In this paper we consider the growth of the SMBH once it starts driving a large-scale outflow through the galaxy. To clear the gas and ultimately terminate further growth of both the SMBH and the host galaxy, the black hole must continue to grow its mass significantly, by up to a factor of a few, after reaching this point. The mass increment ΔMBH depends sensitively on both galaxy size and SMBH spin. The galaxy size dependence leads to ΔMBH ∝ σ5 and a steepening of the M–σ relation beyond the analytically calculated M ∝ σ4, in agreement with observation. Slowly spinning black holes are much less efficient in producing feedback, so at any given σ the slowest spinning black holes should be the most massive. Current observational constraints are consistent with this picture, but insufficient to test it properly; however, this should change with upcoming surveys.


2020 ◽  
Vol 496 (1) ◽  
pp. 921-932
Author(s):  
Henriette Wirth ◽  
Kenji Bekki

ABSTRACT Recent observational studies of ultracompact dwarf galaxies (UCDs) have discovered the massive black hole (MBH), with masses of more than ${10^6~\rm M_\odot }$, in their central regions. We here consider that these MBHs can be formed through the merging of intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH), with masses of (103–105) M⊙, within the stellar nuclei of dwarf galaxies, which are progenitors of UCDs. We numerically investigate this formation process for a wide range of model parameters using N-body simulations. This means that IMBH growth and feedback is neglected in this study. We find that only massive IMBHs of $10^5~\rm M_\odot$ sink into the central regions of their host dwarf ($\approx 10^{10}~\rm M_\odot$) to be gravitationally trapped by its stellar nucleus within less than 1 Gyr in most dwarf models. We also find that lighter IMBHs with $(1\!-\!30) \times 10^3~\rm M_\odot$ sink into the centre in low-mass dwarfs ($\approx 10^{9}~\rm M_\odot$) due to more efficient dynamical frictionitionally, we show that the IMBHs can form binaries in the centre and, rarely, before they reach the centre, which may lead to the IMBHs merging and thus emitting gravitational waves that could be detected by LISA. Finally, we discuss the required number of IMBHs for the MBH formation in UCDs and the physical roles of stellar nuclei in IMBH binaries and mergers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (S359) ◽  
pp. 280-282
Author(s):  
Gustavo Amaral Lanfranchi ◽  
Anderson Caproni ◽  
Jennifer F. Soares ◽  
Larissa S. de Oliveira

AbstractThe gas evolution of a typical Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy is investigated by means of 3D hydrodynamic simulations, taking into account the feedback of type II and Ia supernovae, the outflow of an Intermediate Massive Black Hole (IMBH) and a static cored dark matter potential. When the IMBH’s outflow is simulated in an homogeneous medium a jet structure is created and a small fraction of the gas is pushed away from the galaxy. No jet structure can be seen, however, when the medium is disturbed by supernovae, but gas is still pushed away. In this case, the main driver of the gas removal are the supernovae. The interplay between the stellar feedback and the IMBH’s outflow should be taken into account.


1997 ◽  
Vol 163 ◽  
pp. 620-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Ford ◽  
Z. Tsvetanov ◽  
L. Ferrarese ◽  
G. Kriss ◽  
W. Jaffe ◽  
...  

AbstractHST images have led to the discovery that small (r ~ 1″ r ~ 100 – 200 pc), well-defined, gaseous disks are common in the nuclei of elliptical galaxies. Measurements of rotational velocities in the disks provide a means to measure the central mass and search for massive black holes in the parent galaxies. The minor axes of these disks are closely aligned with the directions of the large–scale radio jets, suggesting that it is angular momentum of the disk rather than that of the black hole that determines the direction of the radio jets. Because the disks are directly observable, we can study the disks themselves, and investigate important questions which cannot be directly addressed with observations of the smaller and unresolved central accretion disks. In this paper we summarize what has been learned to date in this rapidly unfolding new field.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (S359) ◽  
pp. 312-317
Author(s):  
Francoise Combes

AbstractGas fueling AGN (Active Galaxy Nuclei) is now traceable at high-resolution with ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter Array) and NOEMA (NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array). Dynamical mechanisms are essential to exchange angular momentum and drive the gas to the super-massive black hole. While at 100pc scale, the gas is sometimes stalled in nuclear rings, recent observations reaching 10pc scale (50mas), may bring smoking gun evidence of fueling, within a randomly oriented nuclear gas disk. AGN feedback is also observed, in the form of narrow and collimated molecular outflows, which point towards the radio mode, or entrainment by a radio jet. Precession has been observed in a molecular outflow, indicating the precession of the radio jet. One of the best candidates for precession is the Bardeen-Petterson effect at small scale, which exerts a torque on the accreting material, and produces an extended disk warp. The misalignment between the inner and large-scale disk, enhances the coupling of the AGN feedback, since the jet sweeps a large part of the molecular disk.


2021 ◽  
Vol 502 (2) ◽  
pp. 2446-2473
Author(s):  
Peter Erwin ◽  
Anil Seth ◽  
Victor P Debattista ◽  
Marja Seidel ◽  
Kianusch Mehrgan ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT We present detailed morphological, photometric, and stellar-kinematic analyses of the central regions of two massive, early-type barred galaxies with nearly identical large-scale morphologies. Both have large, strong bars with prominent inner photometric excesses that we associate with boxy/peanut-shaped (B/P) bulges; the latter constitute ∼30 per cent of the galaxy light. Inside its B/P bulge, NGC 4608 has a compact, almost circular structure (half-light radius Re ≈ 310 pc, Sérsic n = 2.2) we identify as a classical bulge, amounting to 12.1 per cent of the total light, along with a nuclear star cluster (Re ∼ 4 pc). NGC 4643, in contrast, has a nuclear disc with an unusual broken-exponential surface-brightness profile (13.2 per cent of the light), and a very small spheroidal component (Re ≈ 35 pc, n = 1.6; 0.5 per cent of the light). IFU stellar kinematics support this picture, with NGC 4608’s classical bulge slowly rotating and dominated by high velocity dispersion, while NGC 4643’s nuclear disc shows a drop to lower dispersion, rapid rotation, V–h3 anticorrelation, and elevated h4. Both galaxies show at least some evidence for V–h3correlation in the bar (outside the respective classical bulge and nuclear disc), in agreement with model predictions. Standard two-component (bulge/disc) decompositions yield B/T ∼ 0.5–0.7 (and bulge n &gt; 2) for both galaxies. This overestimates the true ‘spheroid’ components by factors of 4 (NGC 4608) and over 100 (NGC 4643), illustrating the perils of naive bulge-disc decompositions applied to massive barred galaxies.


2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S267) ◽  
pp. 273-282
Author(s):  
Andrew King

AbstractI review accretion and outflow in active galactic nuclei. Accreti4on appears to occur in a series of very small-scale, chaotic events, whose gas flows have no correlation with the large-scale structure of the galaxy or with each other. The accreting gas has extremely low specific angular momentum and probably represents only a small fraction of the gas involved in a galaxy merger, which may be the underlying driver.Eddington accretion episodes in AGN must be common in order for the supermassive black holes to grow. I show that they produce winds with velocities v ~ 0.1c and ionization parameters implying the presence of resonance lines of helium-like and hydrogen-like iron. The wind creates a strong cooling shock as it interacts with the interstellar medium of the host galaxy, and this cooling region may be observable in an inverse Compton continuum and lower-excitation emission lines associated with lower velocities. The shell of matter swept up by the shocked wind stalls unless the black hole mass has reached the value Mσ implied by the M–σ relation. Once this mass is reached, further black hole growth is prevented. If the shocked gas did not cool as asserted above, the resulting (“energy-driven”) outflow would imply a far smaller SMBH mass than actually observed. Minor accretion events with small gas fractions can produce galaxy-wide outflows, including fossil outflows in galaxies where there is little current AGN activity.


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