Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Apr 2002
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002aps..aprb17096u&link_type=abstract
American Physical Society, April Meeting, Jointly Sponsored with the High Energy Astrophysics Division (HEAD) of the American As
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Scientific paper
We compare published estimates of black hole masses for AGN and galaxies, including direct measurements of dynamical mass (mostly for nearby galaxies) and many more indirect estimates, mostly from reverberation mapping or from emission line widths combined with a size estimate from optical luminosity. We find that, for individual objects, different estimates can span several orders of magnitude. We also evaluate a new estimate, based on properties of the AGN host galaxies, assuming they are like normal galaxies. In contrast to previous studies, we find no significant correlation of black hole mass with luminosity, other than those induced by circular reasoning in the estimation of black hole mass. This shows there must be a large range of Eddington ratios in AGN, of at least three orders of magnitude, which correlates with luminosity. Comparing AGN and normal galaxies in the luminosity-black hole mass plane, we find no gap between them, suggesting that AGN activity decreases smoothly toward the non-active state.
O'Dowd Matthew
Urry Claudia Megan
Woo Jong-Hak
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