TY - JOUR
T1 - On the black hole-bulge mass relation in active and inactive galaxies
AU - McLure, R. J.
AU - Dunlop, James
PY - 2002/4/1
Y1 - 2002/4/1
N2 - New black-hole mass estimates are presented for a sample of 72 AGN
covering three decades in optical luminosity. Using a sub-sample of
Seyfert galaxies, which have black-hole mass estimates from both
reverberation mapping and stellar velocity dispersions, we investigate
the geometry of the AGN broad-line region (BLR). It is demonstrated that
a model in which the orbits of the line-emitting material have a
flattened geometry is favoured over randomly orientated orbits. Using
this model we investigate the M_{bh}-L_{bulge} relation for a combined
90-object sample, consisting of the AGN plus a sample of 18 nearby
inactive elliptical galaxies with dynamical black-hole mass
measurements. It is found that, for all reasonable mass-to-light ratios,
the M_{bh}-L_{bulge} relation is equivalent to a linear scaling between
bulge and black-hole mass. The best-fitting normalization of the
M_{bh}-M_{bulge} relation is found to be M_{bh}=0.0012M_{bulge}, in
agreement with recent black-hole mass studies based on stellar velocity
dispersions. Furthermore, the scatter around the M_{bh}-L_{bulge}
relation for the full sample is found to be significantly smaller than
has been previously reported (Delta \log M_{bh}=0.39 dex). Finally,
using the nearby inactive elliptical galaxy sample alone, it is shown
that the scatter in the M_{bh}-L_{bulge} relation is only 0.33 dex,
comparable to that of the M_{bh}-sigma relation. These results indicate
that reliable black-hole mass estimates can be obtained for high
redshift galaxies.
AB - New black-hole mass estimates are presented for a sample of 72 AGN
covering three decades in optical luminosity. Using a sub-sample of
Seyfert galaxies, which have black-hole mass estimates from both
reverberation mapping and stellar velocity dispersions, we investigate
the geometry of the AGN broad-line region (BLR). It is demonstrated that
a model in which the orbits of the line-emitting material have a
flattened geometry is favoured over randomly orientated orbits. Using
this model we investigate the M_{bh}-L_{bulge} relation for a combined
90-object sample, consisting of the AGN plus a sample of 18 nearby
inactive elliptical galaxies with dynamical black-hole mass
measurements. It is found that, for all reasonable mass-to-light ratios,
the M_{bh}-L_{bulge} relation is equivalent to a linear scaling between
bulge and black-hole mass. The best-fitting normalization of the
M_{bh}-M_{bulge} relation is found to be M_{bh}=0.0012M_{bulge}, in
agreement with recent black-hole mass studies based on stellar velocity
dispersions. Furthermore, the scatter around the M_{bh}-L_{bulge}
relation for the full sample is found to be significantly smaller than
has been previously reported (Delta \log M_{bh}=0.39 dex). Finally,
using the nearby inactive elliptical galaxy sample alone, it is shown
that the scatter in the M_{bh}-L_{bulge} relation is only 0.33 dex,
comparable to that of the M_{bh}-sigma relation. These results indicate
that reliable black-hole mass estimates can be obtained for high
redshift galaxies.
U2 - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05236.x
DO - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05236.x
M3 - Article
VL - 331
SP - 795
EP - 804
JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
SN - 0035-8711
ER -