Black Hole Mass Estimates for High-Redshift Quasars

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

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Scientific paper

We investigate a sample of luminous high-redshift quasars (3.3 ≤ z ≤ 5.1) to measure the mass of their super-massive black holes (SMBH) and compare, for the first time, results based on CIV, MgII, and Hβ emission lines at high-redshifts. Assuming gravitationally bound orbits as dominant broad-line region gas motion, we determine black hole masses in the range of 2 108 ≤ Mbh ≤ 4 1010 Msun. In spite of some uncertainties, the presence of SMBH at redshifts up to z=5.1 is consistently indicated by all three emission lines. Assuming logarithmic growth by spherical accretion with a mass to energy conversion efficiency of ɛ = 0.1 and an Eddington ratio Lbol}/L{edd calculated for each quasar individually, we estimate black hole growth-times of the order of several ˜ 100 Myr. This result indicates that the SMBHs in the z≃ 3.5 quasars began to grow at redshifts z ≥ 4, while for the quasars with z≥ 4.5 they started at z ≃ 5 to 10. These estimated time scales for forming SMBHs at high-redshifts provide further indications for a joint formation of host galaxies bulges, major and vigorous star formation episodes, and SMBH formation at these early epochs.

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