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At least 811 records · Page 45
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DOE OSTI2013

UNLEASHING POSITIVE FEEDBACK: LINKING THE RATES OF STAR FORMATION, SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE ACCRETION, AND OUTFLOWS IN DISTANT GALAXIES

Pressure-regulated star formation is a simple variant on the usual supernova-regulated star formation efficiency that controls the global star formation rate as a function of cold gas content in star-forming galaxies, and accounts for the Schmidt-Kennicutt law in both nearby and distant galaxies. Inclusion of active galactic nucleus (AGN) induced pressure, by jets and/or winds that flow back onto a gas-rich disk, can lead, under some circumstances, to significantly enhanced star formation rates, especially at high redshift and most likely followed by the more widely accepted phase of star formation quenching. Simple expressions are derived that relate supermassive black hole growth, star formation, and outflow rates. The ratios of black hole to spheroid mass and of both black hole accretion and outflow rates to star formation rate are predicted as a function of time. I suggest various tests of the AGN-triggered star formation hypothesis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

REVERBERATION MAPPING OF A LOW-MASS BLACK HOLE IN A NARROW-LINE SEYFERT 1 GALAXY

We present results of a reverberation mapping (RM) campaign on the low black hole mass narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxy SDSS J113913.91+335551.1 (hereafter SL01). Using the H{beta} measurements, we find a time lag {tau}= 12.5{sup +0.5}{sub -11} days and a broad-line velocity width of 1450 km s{sup -1} which implies a black hole mass of 3.8{sup +0.6}{sub -2.8} Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 6} M{sub Sun }. To further bolster our time lag results, we employ a secondary method based on the multivariate correlation function as described in Chelouche and Zucker, in which case we obtain consistent lags for the Balmer lines, yet without the need to spectrally deconvolve line from continuum emission processes. Given SL01's luminosity (L{sub bol} Almost-Equal-To 7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 43} erg s{sup -1}), we estimate an Eddington ratio (L{sub bol}/L{sub Edd}) of {approx}0.18. This fairly low-mass determination and rather high L{sub bol}/L{sub Edd} is consistent with the current paradigm that the nuclei of NLS1 galaxies host small black holes (as low as 10{sup 6} M{sub Sun }) with high accretion rates. SL01 is one of only a few NLS1s to date with robust RM results.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

THE SUPERNOVA THAT DESTROYED A PROTOGALAXY: PROMPT CHEMICAL ENRICHMENT AND SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE GROWTH

The first primitive galaxies formed from accretion and mergers by z {approx} 15, and were primarily responsible for cosmological reionization and the chemical enrichment of the early cosmos. But a few of these galaxies may have formed in the presence of strong Lyman-Werner UV fluxes that sterilized them of H{sub 2}, preventing them from forming stars or expelling heavy elements into the intergalactic medium prior to assembly. At masses of 10{sup 8} M{sub Sun} and virial temperatures of 10{sup 4} K, these halos began to rapidly cool by atomic lines, perhaps forming 10{sup 4}-10{sup 6} M{sub Sun} Pop III stars and, later, the seeds of supermassive black holes. We have modeled the explosion of a supermassive Pop III star in the dense core of a line-cooled protogalaxy with the ZEUS-MP code. We find that the supernova (SN) expands to a radius of {approx}1 kpc, briefly engulfing the entire galaxy, but then collapses back into the potential well of the dark matter. Fallback fully mixes the interior of the protogalaxy with metals, igniting a violent starburst and fueling the rapid growth of a massive black hole at its center. The starburst would populate the protogalaxy with stars in greater numbers and at higher metallicities than in more slowly evolving, nearby halos. The SN remnant becomes a strong synchrotron source that can be observed with eVLA and eMERLIN and has a unique signature that easily distinguishes it from less energetic SN remnants. Such explosions, and their attendant starbursts, may well have marked the birthplaces of supermassive black holes on the sky.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

ULTRAVIOLET EMISSION-LINE CORRELATIONS IN HST/COS SPECTRA OF ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI: SINGLE-EPOCH BLACK HOLE MASSES

Effective methods of measuring supermassive black hole masses in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are of critical importance to studies of galaxy evolution. While there has been much success in obtaining masses through reverberation mapping, the extensive observing time required by this method has limited the practicality of applying it to large samples at a variety of redshifts. This limitation highlights the need to estimate these masses using single-epoch spectroscopy of ultraviolet (UV) emission lines. We use UV spectra of 44 AGNs from HST/COS, the International Ultraviolet Explorer, and the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer of the C IV {lambda}1549, O VI {lambda}1035, O III] {lambda}1664, He II {lambda}1640, C II {lambda}1335, and Mg II {lambda}2800 emission lines and explore their potential as tracers of the broad-line region and supermassive black hole mass. The higher signal-to-noise ratio and better spectral resolution of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) resolve AGN intrinsic absorption and produce more accurate line widths. From these, we test the viability of mass-scaling relationships based on line widths and luminosities and carry out a principal component analysis based on line luminosities, widths, skewness, and kurtosis. At L{sub 1450} {<=} 10{sup 45} erg s{sup -1}, the UV line luminosities correlate well with H{beta}, as does the 1450 A continuum luminosity. We find that C IV, O VI, and Mg II can be used as reasonably accurate estimators of AGN black hole masses, while He II and C II are uncorrelated.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

BLACK HOLE-NEUTRON STAR MERGERS WITH A HOT NUCLEAR EQUATION OF STATE: OUTFLOW AND NEUTRINO-COOLED DISK FOR A LOW-MASS, HIGH-SPIN CASE

Neutrino emission significantly affects the evolution of the accretion tori formed in black hole-neutron star mergers. It removes energy from the disk, alters its composition, and provides a potential power source for a gamma-ray burst. To study these effects, simulations in general relativity with a hot microphysical equation of state (EOS) and neutrino feedback are needed. We present the first such simulation, using a neutrino leakage scheme for cooling to capture the most essential effects and considering a moderate mass (1.4 M{sub ☉} neutron star, 5.6 M{sub ☉} black hole), high-spin (black hole J/M {sup 2} = 0.9) system with the K{sub 0} = 220 MeV Lattimer-Swesty EOS. We find that about 0.08 M{sub ☉} of nuclear matter is ejected from the system, while another 0.3 M{sub ☉} forms a hot, compact accretion disk. The primary effects of the escaping neutrinos are (1) to make the disk much denser and more compact, (2) to cause the average electron fraction Y{sub e} of the disk to rise to about 0.2 and then gradually decrease again, and (3) to gradually cool the disk. The disk is initially hot (T ∼ 6 MeV) and luminous in neutrinos (L{sub ν} ∼ 10{sup 54} erg s{sup –1}), but the neutrino luminosity decreases by an order of magnitude over 50 ms of post-merger evolution.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

SPOON-FEEDING GIANT STARS TO SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES: EPISODIC MASS TRANSFER FROM EVOLVING STARS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE QUIESCENT ACTIVITY OF GALACTIC NUCLEI

Stars may be tidally disrupted if, in a single orbit, they are scattered too close to a supermassive black hole (SMBH). Tidal disruption events are thought to power luminous but short-lived accretion episodes that can light up otherwise quiescent SMBHs in transient flares. Here we explore a more gradual process of tidal stripping where stars approach the tidal disruption radius by stellar evolution while in an eccentric orbit. After the onset of mass transfer, these stars episodically transfer mass to the SMBH every pericenter passage, giving rise to low-level flares that repeat on the orbital timescale. Giant stars, in particular, will exhibit a runaway response to mass loss and 'spoon-feed' material to the black hole for tens to hundreds of orbital periods. In contrast to full tidal disruption events, the duty cycle of this feeding mode is of order unity for black holes M{sub bh} ∼> 10{sup 7} M{sub ☉}. This mode of quasi-steady SMBH feeding is competitive with indirect SMBH feeding through stellar winds, and spoon-fed giant stars may play a role in determining the quiescent luminosity of local SMBHs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

The accretion disk and ionized absorber of the 9.7 hr dipping black hole binary MAXI J1305–704

We report the results from X-ray studies of the newly discovered black hole candidate MAXI J1305–704 based on Suzaku and Swift observations in the low/hard and high/soft states, respectively. The long Suzaku observation shows two types of clear absorption dips, both of which recur on a dip interval of 9.74 ± 0.04 hr, which we identify with the orbital period. There is also partially ionized absorption in the nondip (persistent) emission in both the high/soft state and, very unusually, the low/hard state. However, this absorption (in both states) has substantially lower ionization than that seen in other high inclination systems, where the material forms a homogeneous disk wind. Here instead the absorption is most likely associated with clumpy, compact structures associated with the dipping material, which we see uniquely in this source likely because we view it at a very large inclination angle. A large inclination angle is also favored, together with a low black hole mass, to explain the high disk temperature seen in the fairly low luminosity high/soft state, as Doppler boosting enhances the disk temperature at high inclination. The disk radius inferred from these data is significantly smaller than that of the soft component seen in the low/hard state, supporting models where the disk is truncated at low luminosities. We find, however, that the lack of variability power on timescales of ∼50 s in the Suzaku low/hard state data is difficult to explain, even with a low-mass black hole.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Physical properties of the inner shocks in hot, tilted black hole accretion flows

Simulations of hot, pressure-supported, tilted black hole accretion flows, in which the angular momentum of the flow is misaligned with the black hole spin axis, can exhibit two nonaxisymmetric shock structures in the inner regions of the flow. We analyze the strength and significance of these shock structures in simulations with tilt angles of 10° and 15°. By integrating fluid trajectories in the simulations through the shocks and tracking the variations of fluid quantities along these trajectories, we show that these shocks are strong, with substantial compression ratios, in contrast to earlier claims. However, they are only moderately relativistic. We also show that the two density enhancements resembling flow streams in their shape are in fact merely post-shock compressions, as fluid trajectories cut across, rather than flow along, them. The dissipation associated with the shocks is a substantial fraction (≅ 3%-12%) of the rest mass energy advected into the hole, and therefore comparable to the dissipation expected from turbulence. The shocks should therefore make order unity changes in the observed properties of black hole accretion flows that are tilted.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The black hole mass and the stellar ring in NGC 3706

We determine the mass of the nuclear black hole (M) in NGC 3706, an early-type galaxy with a central surface brightness minimum arising from an apparent stellar ring, which is misaligned with respect to the galaxy's major axis at larger radii. We fit new HST/STIS and archival data with axisymmetric orbit models to determine M, mass-to-light ratio (Y {sub V}), and dark matter halo profile. The best-fit model parameters with 1σ uncertainties are M=(6.0{sub −0.9}{sup +0.7})×10{sup 8} M{sub ⊙} and Υ{sub V}=6.0±0.2 M{sub ⊙} L{sub ⊙,V}{sup −1} at an assumed distance of 46 Mpc. The models are inconsistent with no black hole at a significance of Δχ{sup 2} = 15.4 and require a dark matter halo to adequately fit the kinematic data, but the fits are consistent with a large range of plausible dark matter halo parameters. The ring is inconsistent with a population of co-rotating stars on circular orbits, which would produce a narrow line-of-sight velocity distribution (LOSVD). Instead, the ring's LOSVD has a small value of |V|/σ, the ratio of mean velocity to velocity dispersion. Based on the observed low |V|/σ, our orbit modeling, and a kinematic decomposition of the ring from the bulge, we conclude that the stellar ring contains stars that orbit in both directions. We consider potential origins for this unique feature, including multiple tidal disruptions of stellar clusters, a change in the gravitational potential from triaxial to axisymmetric, resonant capture and inclining of orbits by a binary black hole, and multiple mergers leading to gas being funneled to the center of the galaxy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Inducing chaos by breaking axial symmetry in a black hole magnetosphere

While the motion of particles near a rotating, electrically neutral (Kerr), and charged (Kerr-Newman) black hole is always strictly regular, a perturbation in the gravitational or the electromagnetic field generally leads to chaos. The transition from regular to chaotic dynamics is relatively gradual if the system preserves axial symmetry, whereas non-axisymmetry induces chaos more efficiently. Here we study the development of chaos in an oblique (electro-vacuum) magnetosphere of a magnetized black hole. Besides the strong gravity of the massive source represented by the Kerr metric, we consider the presence of a weak, ordered, large-scale magnetic field. An axially symmetric model consisting of a rotating black hole embedded in an aligned magnetic field is generalized by allowing an oblique direction of the field having a general inclination with respect to the rotation axis of the system. The inclination of the field acts as an additional perturbation to the motion of charged particles as it breaks the axial symmetry of the system and cancels the related integral of motion. The axial component of angular momentum is no longer conserved and the resulting system thus has three degrees of freedom. Our primary concern within this contribution is to find out how sensitive the system of bound particles is to the inclination of the field. We employ the method of the maximal Lyapunov exponent to distinguish between regular and chaotic orbits and to quantify their chaoticity. We find that even a small misalignment induces chaotic motion.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Chandra spectroscopy of MAXI J1305–704: Detection of an infalling black hole disk wind?

We report on a high-resolution Chandra/HETG X-ray spectrum of the transient X-ray binary MAXI J1305–704. A rich absorption complex is detected in the Fe L band, including density-sensitive lines from Fe XX, Fe XXI, and Fe XXII. Spectral analysis over three wavelength bands with a large grid of XSTAR photoionization models generally requires a gas density of n ≥ 10{sup 17} cm{sup –3}. Assuming a luminosity of L = 10{sup 37} erg s{sup –1}, fits to the 10-14 Å band constrain the absorbing gas to lie within r = (3.9 ± 0.7) × 10{sup 3} km from the central engine, or about r = 520 ± 90 (M/5 M {sub ☉}) r{sub g} , where r{sub g} = GM/c {sup 2}. At this small distance from the compact object, gas in stable orbits should have a gravitational redshift of z = v/c ≅ (3 ± 1) × 10{sup –3} (M/5 M {sub ☉}), and any tenuous inflowing gas should have a free-fall velocity of v/c ≅ (6 ± 1) × 10{sup –2} (M/5 M {sub ☉}){sup 1/2}. The best-fit single-zone photoionization models measure a redshift of v/c = (2.6-3.2) × 10{sup –3}. Models with two absorbing zones provide significantly improved fits, and the additional zone is measured to have a redshift of v/c = (4.6-4.9) × 10{sup –2} (models including two zones suggest slightly different radii and may point to lower densities). Thus, the observed shifts are broadly consistent with those expected at the photoionization radius. The absorption spectrum revealed in MAXI J1305–704 may be best explained in terms of a 'failed wind' like those predicted in some recent numerical simulations of black hole accretion flows. The robustness of the velocity shifts was explored through detailed simulations with the Chandra/MARX ray-tracing package and analysis of the zeroth-order ACIS-S3 spectrum. These tests are particularly important given the anomalously large angle between the source and the optical axis in this observation. The simulations and ACIS spectrum suggest that the shifts are not instrumental; however, strong caution is warranted. We discuss our results in the context of accretion flows in stellar-mass black holes and active galactic nuclei, as well as the potential role of failed winds in emerging connections between disk outflows and black hole state transitions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Confirmation via the continuum-fitting method that the spin of the black hole in Cygnus X-1 is extreme

In Gou et al., we reported that the black hole primary in the X-ray binary Cygnus X-1 is a near-extreme Kerr black hole with a spin parameter a{sub *} > 0.95 (3σ). We confirm this result while setting a new and more stringent limit: a{sub *} > 0.983 at the 3σ (99.7%) confidence level. The earlier work, which was based on an analysis of all three useful spectra that were then available, was possibly biased by the presence in these spectra of a relatively strong Compton power-law component: the fraction of the thermal seed photons scattered into the power law was f{sub s} = 23%-31%, while the upper limit for reliable application of the continuum-fitting method is f{sub s} ≲ 25%. We have subsequently obtained six additional spectra of Cygnus X-1 suitable for the measurement of spin. Five of these spectra are of high quality with f{sub s} in the range 10%-19%, a regime where the continuum-fitting method has been shown to deliver reliable results. Individually, the six spectra give lower limits on the spin parameter that range from a{sub *} > 0.95 to a{sub *} > 0.98, allowing us to conservatively conclude that the spin of the black hole is a{sub *} > 0.983 (3σ).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Super massive black hole in galactic nuclei with tidal disruption of stars

Tidal disruption of stars by super massive central black holes from dense star clusters is modeled by high-accuracy direct N-body simulation. The time evolution of the stellar tidal disruption rate, the effect of tidal disruption on the stellar density profile, and, for the first time, the detailed origin of tidally disrupted stars are carefully examined and compared with classic papers in the field. Up to 128k particles are used in simulation to model the star cluster around a super massive black hole, and we use the particle number and the tidal radius of the black hole as free parameters for a scaling analysis. The transition from full to empty loss-cone is analyzed in our data, and the tidal disruption rate scales with the particle number, N, in the expected way for both cases. For the first time in numerical simulations (under certain conditions) we can support the concept of a critical radius of Frank and Rees, which claims that most stars are tidally accreted on highly eccentric orbits originating from regions far outside the tidal radius. Due to the consumption of stars moving on radial orbits, a velocity anisotropy is found inside the cluster. Finally we estimate the real galactic center based on our simulation results and the scaling analysis.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Gravitational waves from the collision of tidally disrupted stars with massive black holes

We use simulations of hydrodynamics coupled with full general relativity to investigate the gravitational waves produced by a star colliding with a massive black hole when the star's tidal disruption radius lies far outside of the black hole horizon. We consider both main-sequence and white-dwarf compaction stars, and nonspinning black holes, as well as those with near-extremal spin. We study the regime in between where the star can be accurately modeled by a point particle, and where tidal effects completely suppress the gravitational wave signal. We find that nonnegligible gravitational waves can be produced even when the star is strongly affected by tidal forces, as well as when it collides with large angular momentum. We discuss the implications that these results have for the potential observation of gravitational waves from these sources with future detectors.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

The mass of the central black hole in the nearby Seyfert galaxy NGC 5273

We present the results of a reverberation-mapping program targeting NGC 5273, a nearby early-type galaxy with a broad-lined active galactic nucleus (AGN). Over the course of the monitoring program, NGC 5273 showed strong variability that allowed us to measure time delays in the responses of the broad optical recombination lines to changes in the continuum flux. A weighted average of these measurements results in a black hole mass determination of M {sub BH} = (4.7 ± 1.6) × 10{sup 6} M {sub ☉}. An estimate of the size of the black hole sphere of influence in NGC 5273 puts it just at the limit of the resolution achievable with current ground-based large aperture telescopes. NGC 5273 is therefore an important future target for a black hole mass determination from stellar dynamical modeling, especially because it is the only nearby early-type galaxy hosting an AGN with a reverberation-based mass, allowing the best comparison for the masses determined from these two techniques.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

THE BLACK HOLE MASS-GALAXY LUMINOSITY RELATIONSHIP FOR SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY QUASARS

We investigate the relationship between the mass of the central supermassive black hole, M {sub BH}, and the host galaxy luminosity, L {sub gal}, in a sample of quasars from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7. We use composite quasar spectra binned by black hole mass and redshift to assess galaxy features that would otherwise be overwhelmed by noise in individual spectra. The black hole mass is calculated using the photoionization method, and the host galaxy luminosity is inferred from the depth of the Ca II H+K features in the composite spectra. We evaluate the evolution in the M {sub BH}-L {sub gal} relationship by examining the redshift dependence of Δ log M {sub BH}, the offset in M {sub BH} from the local M {sub BH}-L {sub gal} relationship. There is little systematic trend in Δ log M {sub BH} out to z = 0.8. Using the width of the [O III] emission line as a proxy for the stellar velocity dispersion, σ{sub *}, we find agreement of our derived host luminosities with the locally observed Faber-Jackson relation. This supports the utility of the width of the [O III] line as a proxy for σ{sub *} in statistical studies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Star formation rate and dynamical mass of 10{sup 8} solar mass black hole host galaxies at Redshift 6

We present ALMA observations of two moderate-luminosity quasars at redshift 6. These quasars, from the Canada–France High-z Quasar Survey (CFHQS), have black hole masses of ∼10{sup 8} M{sub ⊙}. Both quasars are detected in the [C ii] line and dust continuum. Combining these data with our previous study of two similar CFHQS quasars we investigate the population properties. We show that z>6 quasars have a significantly lower far-infrared (far-IR) luminosity than bolometric-luminosity-matched samples at lower redshift, inferring a lower star formation rate possibly correlated with lower black hole masses at z = 6. The ratios of [C ii] to far-IR luminosities in the CFHQS quasars are comparable to those of starbursts of similar star formation rate in the local universe. We determine the values of velocity dispersion and dynamical mass for the quasar host galaxies based on the [C ii] data. We find that there is no significant offset from the relations defined by nearby galaxies with similar black hole masses. There is, however, a marked increase in the scatter at z = 6, beyond the large observational uncertainties.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

MEASURING THE LUMINOSITY AND VIRIAL BLACK HOLE MASS DEPENDENCE OF QUASAR–GALAXY CLUSTERING AT z ∼ 0.8

We study the dependence of quasar clustering on quasar luminosity and black hole mass by measuring the angular overdensity of photometrically selected galaxies imaged by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) about z ∼ 0.8 quasars from SDSS. By measuring the quasar–galaxy cross-correlation function and using photometrically selected galaxies, we achieve a higher density of tracer objects and a more sensitive detection of clustering than measurements of the quasar autocorrelation function. We test models of quasar formation and evolution by measuring the luminosity dependence of clustering amplitude. We find a significant overdensity of WISE galaxies about z ∼ 0.8 quasars at 0.2–6.4 h{sup −1} Mpc in projected comoving separation. We find no appreciable increase in clustering amplitude with quasar luminosity across a decade in luminosity, and a power-law fit between luminosity and clustering amplitude gives an exponent of −0.01 ± 0.06 (1 σ error). We also fail to find a significant relationship between clustering amplitude and black hole mass, although our dynamic range in true mass is suppressed due to the large uncertainties in virial black hole mass estimates. Our results indicate that a small range in host dark matter halo mass maps to a large range in quasar luminosity.

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