Supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei. II. Calibration of the black hole mass-velocity dispersion relationship for active galactic nuclei

Christopher A. Onken; Laura Ferrarese; David Merritt; Bradley M. Peterson; Richard W. Pogge; Marianne Vestergaard; Amri Wandel

doi:10.1086/424655

Supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei. II. Calibration of the black hole mass-velocity dispersion relationship for active galactic nuclei

Christopher A. Onken^*, Laura Ferrarese, David Merritt, Bradley M. Peterson, Richard W. Pogge, Marianne Vestergaard, Amri Wandel

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

531 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We calibrate reverberation-based black hole (BH) masses in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) by using the correlation between BH mass, M_BH, and bulge/spheroid stellar velocity dispersion, σ*. We use new measurements of σ* for six AGNs and published velocity dispersions for 10 others, in conjunction with improved reverberation-mapping results, to determine the scaling factor required to bring reverberation-based BH masses into agreement with the quiescent galaxy M_BH-σ* relationship. The scatter in the AGN BH masses is found to be less than a factor of 3. The current observational uncertainties preclude the use of the scaling factor to discriminate between broad-line region models.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	645-651
Number of pages	7
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	615
Issue number	2 I
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/424655
Publication status	Published - 10 Nov 2004
Externally published	Yes

Access to Document

10.1086/424655

Cite this

@article{b77afcbaa09848118e3b9d8c9f44ffcf,

title = "Supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei. II. Calibration of the black hole mass-velocity dispersion relationship for active galactic nuclei",

abstract = "We calibrate reverberation-based black hole (BH) masses in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) by using the correlation between BH mass, MBH, and bulge/spheroid stellar velocity dispersion, σ*. We use new measurements of σ* for six AGNs and published velocity dispersions for 10 others, in conjunction with improved reverberation-mapping results, to determine the scaling factor required to bring reverberation-based BH masses into agreement with the quiescent galaxy MBH-σ* relationship. The scatter in the AGN BH masses is found to be less than a factor of 3. The current observational uncertainties preclude the use of the scaling factor to discriminate between broad-line region models.",

keywords = "Black hole physics, Galaxies: active, Galaxies: nuclei, Galaxies: seyfert",

author = "Onken, {Christopher A.} and Laura Ferrarese and David Merritt and Peterson, {Bradley M.} and Pogge, {Richard W.} and Marianne Vestergaard and Amri Wandel",

year = "2004",

month = nov,

day = "10",

doi = "10.1086/424655",

language = "English",

volume = "615",

pages = "645--651",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "2 I",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei. II. Calibration of the black hole mass-velocity dispersion relationship for active galactic nuclei

AU - Onken, Christopher A.

AU - Ferrarese, Laura

AU - Merritt, David

AU - Peterson, Bradley M.

AU - Pogge, Richard W.

AU - Vestergaard, Marianne

AU - Wandel, Amri

PY - 2004/11/10

Y1 - 2004/11/10

N2 - We calibrate reverberation-based black hole (BH) masses in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) by using the correlation between BH mass, MBH, and bulge/spheroid stellar velocity dispersion, σ*. We use new measurements of σ* for six AGNs and published velocity dispersions for 10 others, in conjunction with improved reverberation-mapping results, to determine the scaling factor required to bring reverberation-based BH masses into agreement with the quiescent galaxy MBH-σ* relationship. The scatter in the AGN BH masses is found to be less than a factor of 3. The current observational uncertainties preclude the use of the scaling factor to discriminate between broad-line region models.

AB - We calibrate reverberation-based black hole (BH) masses in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) by using the correlation between BH mass, MBH, and bulge/spheroid stellar velocity dispersion, σ*. We use new measurements of σ* for six AGNs and published velocity dispersions for 10 others, in conjunction with improved reverberation-mapping results, to determine the scaling factor required to bring reverberation-based BH masses into agreement with the quiescent galaxy MBH-σ* relationship. The scatter in the AGN BH masses is found to be less than a factor of 3. The current observational uncertainties preclude the use of the scaling factor to discriminate between broad-line region models.

KW - Black hole physics

KW - Galaxies: active

KW - Galaxies: nuclei

KW - Galaxies: seyfert

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=11144277899&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1086/424655

DO - 10.1086/424655

M3 - Article

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 615

SP - 645

EP - 651

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2 I

ER -

Supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei. II. Calibration of the black hole mass-velocity dispersion relationship for active galactic nuclei

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this