Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics – Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2011-02-01
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
38 pages, 3 figures, submitted to the Astrophysical Journal
Scientific paper
A model for coevolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes (SMBH) is presented that is physically based and substantially distinct from other models. The evolutionary track starts with a significant event that triggers a significant starburst in the central region of a galaxy and ends gigayears later as a quiescent classic elliptical galaxy or a bulge. A new physical element is that the SMBH cannot gorge itself during the starburst phase, despite the abundant supply of cold gas. This is because star formation is a more preferred mode of gas consumption in such an environment than accretion to the central SMBH. In this model, starburst precedes the onset of the main SMBH growth, lasts about 10-100Myrs and is responsible for finally quenching its own activities, which AGN feedback has little to do with. The main SMBH growth takes place in post-starburst phase fueled by recycled gas from inner bulge stars, is self-regulated and lasts much longer than 100Myrs, albeit at relatively low and diminishing Eddington ratios for most of the time. The predicted relation between SMBH mass and bulge mass/velocity dispersion is consistent with observations. A clear prediction is that early-type galaxy hosts of high Eddingtion rate AGNs are expected to be in the green valley of the galaxy color-magnitude diagram, gradually evolving to the red sequences with decreasing AGN luminosity. A suite of falsifiable predictions and implications with respect to relationships between various types of galaxies and AGN, and others, are made. For those where comparisons to extant observations are possible, the model appears to be in good standing.
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