pith. sign in

arxiv: 1403.4246 · v2 · pith:XDWNC7LHnew · submitted 2014-03-17 · 🌌 astro-ph.GA · astro-ph.CO

X-ray constraints on the local supermassive black hole occupation fraction

classification 🌌 astro-ph.GA astro-ph.CO
keywords fractionoccupationgalaxiesblackearly-typeholesupermassivex-ray
0
0 comments X
read the original abstract

Distinct seed formation mechanisms are imprinted upon the fraction of dwarf galaxies currently containing a central supermassive black hole. Seeding by Pop III remnants is expected to produce a higher occupation fraction than is generated with direct gas collapse precursors. Chandra observations of nearby early-type galaxies can directly detect even low-level supermassive black hole activity, and the active fraction immediately provides a firm lower limit to the occupation fraction. Here, we use the volume-limited AMUSE surveys of ~200 optically-selected early-type galaxies to characterize simultaneously, for the first time, the occupation fraction and the scaling of nuclear X-ray luminosity with stellar mass, accounting for intrinsic scatter, measurement uncertainties, and X-ray limits. For early-type galaxies with log(M_star/M_sun)<10, we obtain a lower limit to the occupation fraction of >20% (at 95% confidence), but full occupation cannot be excluded. The preferred dependence of log(L_X) upon log(M_star) has a slope of about 0.7-0.8, consistent with the "downsizing" trend previously identified from the AMUSE dataset, and a uniform Eddington efficiency is disfavored at ~2 sigma. We provide guidelines for the future precision with which these parameters may be refined with larger or more sensitive samples.

This paper has not been read by Pith yet.

discussion (0)

Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.

Forward citations

Cited by 1 Pith paper

Reviewed papers in the Pith corpus that reference this work. Sorted by Pith novelty score.

  1. Nuclear Activity and Host Galaxy Properties of Low-Luminosity AGN Identified from VLA Observations

    astro-ph.GA 2026-05 unverdicted novelty 4.0

    VLA radio-selected LLAGN show 84% optical, 63% X-ray, and 13% infrared detection rates, with black holes ~0.7 dex smaller, accretion rates ~4.2 dex lower, and host galaxies ~0.3 dex lower in stellar mass with ~0.5 dex...