Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2004-12-01
Astrophys.J. 627 (2005) L93-L96
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
12 pages including 4 figures, ApJL in press (edited to match published version, one typo corrected)
Scientific paper
10.1086/432439
The supermassive black hole at the center of a distant galaxy can be weighed, in rare but realistic cases, when the galaxy acts as a strong gravitational lens. The central image that should be produced by the lens is either destroyed or accompanied by a second central image, depending on the mass of the black hole. We demonstrate that when a central image pair is detected, the mass of the black hole can be determined with an accuracy of < 0.1 dex, if the form of the smooth mass distribution near the galaxy core is known. Uncertainty in the central mass distribution introduces a systematic error in the black hole mass measurement. However, even with nearly complete ignorance of the inner mass distribution, the black hole mass can still be determined to within a factor of 10. Central image pairs should be readily observable with future radio interferometers, allowing this technique to be used for a census of supermassive black holes in inactive galaxies at significant redshift (0.2 < z < 1.0).
Keeton Charles R.
Rusin David
Winn Joshua N.
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