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1.
Stellar-mass black holes (BHs) are expected to segregate and form a steep density cusp around supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in galactic nuclei. We follow the evolution of a multimass system of BHs and stars by numerically integrating the Fokker–Planck energy diffusion equations for a variety of BH mass distributions. We find that the BHs 'self-segregate', and that the rarest, most massive BHs dominate the scattering rate closest to the SMBH  (≲10−1 pc)  . BH–BH binaries form out of gravitational wave emission during BH encounters. We find that the expected rate of BH coalescence events detectable by Advanced LIGO is  ∼1–102 yr−1  , depending on the initial mass function of stars in galactic nuclei and the mass of the most massive BHs. We find that the actual merger rate is likely ∼10 times larger than this due to the intrinsic scatter of stellar densities in many different galaxies. The BH binaries that form this way in galactic nuclei have significant eccentricities as they enter the LIGO band (90 per cent with   e > 0.9  ), and are therefore distinguishable from other binaries, which circularize before becoming detectable. We also show that eccentric mergers can be detected to larger distances and greater BH masses than circular mergers, up to  ∼700 M  . Future ground-based gravitational wave observatories will be able to constrain both the mass function of BHs and stars in galactic nuclei.  相似文献   

2.
We constructed a grid of relativistic models for standard high-relative-luminosity accretion α-disks around supermassive Kerr black holes (BHs) and computed X-ray spectra for their hot, effectively optically thin inner parts by taking into account general-relativity effects. They are known to be heated to high (~106–109 K) temperatures and to cool down through the Comptonization of intrinsic thermal radiation. Their spectra are power laws with an exponential cutoff at high energies; i.e., they have the same shape as those observed in active galactic nuclei (AGNs). Fitting the observed X-ray spectra of AGNs with computed spectra allowed us to estimate the fundamental parameters of BHs (their mass and Kerr parameter) and accretion disks (luminosity and inclination to the line of sight) in 28 AGNs. We show that the Kerr parameter for BHs in AGNs is close to unity and that the disk inclination correlates with the Seyfert type of AGN, in accordance with the unification model of activity. The estimated BH masses Mx are compared with the masses Mrev determined by the reverberation mapping technique. For AGNs with luminosities close to the Eddington limit, these masses agree and the model under consideration may be valid for them. For low-relative-luminosity AGNs, the differences in masses increase with decreasing relative luminosity and their X-ray emission cannot be explained by this model.  相似文献   

3.
We make a case for the existence for ultra-massive black holes (UMBHs) in the Universe, but argue that there exists a likely upper limit to black hole (BH) masses of the order of   M ∼ 1010 M  . We show that there are three strong lines of argument that predicate the existence of UMBHs: (i) expected as a natural extension of the observed BH mass bulge luminosity relation, when extrapolated to the bulge luminosities of bright central galaxies in clusters; (ii) new predictions for the mass function of seed BHs at high redshifts predict that growth via accretion or merger-induced accretion inevitably leads to the existence of rare UMBHs at late times; (iii) the local mass function of BHs computed from the observed X-ray luminosity functions of active galactic nuclei predict the existence of a high-mass tail in the BH mass function at   z = 0  . Consistency between the optical and X-ray census of the local BH mass function requires an upper limit to BH masses. This consistent picture also predicts that the slope of the   M bh–σ  relation will evolve with redshift at the high-mass end. Models of self-regulation that explain the co-evolution of the stellar component and nuclear BHs naturally provide such an upper limit. The combination of multiwavelength constraints predicts the existence of UMBHs and simultaneously provides an upper limit to their masses. The typical hosts for these local UMBHs are likely the bright, central cluster galaxies in the nearby Universe.  相似文献   

4.
The next generation of X-ray telescopes have the potential to detect faint quasars at very high redshift and probe the early growth of massive black holes (BHs). We present modelling of the evolution of the optical and X-ray active galactic nucleus (AGN) luminosity function at  2 < z < 6  based on a cold dark matter (CDM) merger-driven model for the triggering of nuclear activity combined with a variety of fading laws. We extrapolate the merger-driven models to   z > 6  for a range of BH growth scenarios. We predict significant numbers of sources at   z ∼ 6  with fluxes just an order of magnitude below the current detection limits and thus detectable with XEUS and Constellation-X , relatively independently of the fading law chosen. The predicted number of sources at even higher redshift depends sensitively on the early growth history of BHs. For passive evolution models in which BHs grow constantly at their Eddington limit, detectable BHs may be rare beyond   z ∼ 10  even with Generation-X . However, in the more probable scenario that BH growth at   z > 6  can be described by passive evolution with a small duty cycle, or by our merger-driven accretion model, then we predict that XEUS and Generation-X will detect significant numbers of BHs out to   z ∼ 10  and perhaps beyond.  相似文献   

5.
We assembled a sample of Seyfert 1 galaxies, quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) and low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs) observed by ASCA , the central black hole masses of which have been measured. We found that the X-ray variability (which is quantified by the 'excess variance' σ rms2) is significantly anti-correlated with the central black hole mass, and it is likely that a linear relationship of σ rms2∝ M bh−1 exists. It can be interpreted that the short time-scale X-ray variability is caused by some global coherent variations in the X-ray emission region, which is scaled by the size of the central black hole. Hence the central black hole mass is the driving parameter of the previously established relation between X-ray variability and luminosity. Our findings favour the hypothesis that the narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies and QSOs harbour smaller black holes than the broad-line objects, and can also easily explain the observational fact that high-redshift QSOs have greater variability than local AGNs at a given luminosity. Further investigations are needed to confirm our findings, and a large sample X-ray variability investigation can give constraints on the physical mechanisms and evolution of AGNs.  相似文献   

6.
We report on the analysis of the photometric and spectroscopic properties of a sample of 29 low-redshift  ( z < 0.6)  QSOs for which both Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) WFPC2 images and ultraviolet HST   FOS spectra are available. For each object we measure the R -band absolute magnitude of the host galaxy, the C  iv (1550 Å) linewidth and the 1350 Å continuum luminosity. From these quantities we can estimate the black hole (BH) mass through the   M BH– L bulge  relation for inactive galaxies, and from the virial method based on the kinematics of the regions emitting the broad-lines. The comparison of the masses derived from the two methods yields information on the geometry of the gas emitting regions bound to the massive BH. The cumulative distribution of the linewidths is consistent with that produced by matter laying in planes with inclinations uniformly distributed between ∼10° and ∼50°, which corresponds to a geometrical factor   f ∼ 1.3  . Our results are compared with those of the literature and discussed within the unified model of active galactic nuclei.  相似文献   

7.
Since many or most galaxies have central massive black holes (BHs), mergers of galaxies can form massive binary black holes (BBHs). In this paper we study the evolution of massive BBHs in realistic galaxy models, using a generalization of techniques used to study tidal disruption rates around massive BHs. The evolution of BBHs depends on BH mass ratio and host galaxy type. BBHs with very low mass ratios (say, ≲0.001) are hardly ever formed by mergers of galaxies, because the dynamical friction time-scale is too long for the smaller BH to sink into the galactic centre within a Hubble time. BBHs with moderate mass ratios are most likely to form and survive in spherical or nearly spherical galaxies and in high-luminosity or high-dispersion galaxies; they are most likely to have merged in low-dispersion galaxies (line-of-sight velocity dispersion ≲90 km s−1) or in highly flattened or triaxial galaxies.
The semimajor axes and orbital periods of surviving BBHs are generally in the range  10-3–10 pc  and  10–105 yr;  they are also larger in high-dispersion galaxies than in low-dispersion galaxies, larger in nearly spherical galaxies than in highly flattened or triaxial galaxies, and larger for BBHs with equal masses than for BBHs with unequal masses. The orbital velocities of surviving BBHs are generally in the range  102–104 km s-1  . The methods of detecting surviving BBHs are also discussed.
If no evidence of BBHs is found in AGNs, this may be either because gas plays a major role in BBH orbital decay or because nuclear activity switches on soon after a galaxy merger, and ends before the smaller BH has had time to spiral to the centre of the galaxy.  相似文献   

8.
In the pre-reionization Universe, the regions of the intergalactic medium (IGM) which are far from luminous sources are the last to undergo reionization. Until then, they should be scarcely affected by stellar radiation; instead, the X-ray emission from an early black hole (BH) population can have much larger influence. We investigate the effects of such emission, looking at a number of BH model populations (differing for the cosmological density evolution of BHs, the BH properties, and the spectral energy distribution of the BH emission). We find that BH radiation can easily heat the IGM to  103–104 K  , while achieving partial ionization. The most interesting consequence of this heating is that BHs are expected to induce a 21-cm signal (  δ T b∼ 20–30 mK  at   z ≲ 12  ) which should be observable with forthcoming experiments (e.g. LOFAR). We also find that at   z ≲ 10  BH emission strongly increases the critical mass separating star-forming and non-star-forming haloes.  相似文献   

9.
We use a combination of a cosmological N -body simulation of the concordance Λ cold dark matter paradigm and a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation to investigate the spin development of central supermassive black holes (BHs) and its relation to the BH host galaxy properties. In order to compute BH spins, we use the α model of Shakura & Sunyaev and consider the King et al. warped disc alignment criterion. The orientation of the accretion disc is inferred from the angular momentum of the source of accreted material, which bears a close relationship to the large-scale structure in the simulation. We find that the final BH spin depends almost exclusively on the accretion history and only weakly on the warped disc alignment. The main mechanisms of BH spin-up are found to be gas cooling processes and disc instabilities, a result that is only partially compatible with Monte Carlo models where the main spin-up mechanisms are major mergers and disc instabilities; the latter results are reproduced when implementing randomly oriented accretion discs in our model. Regarding the BH population, we find that more massive BHs, which are hosted by massive ellipticals, have higher spin values than less massive BHs, hosted by spiral galaxies. We analyse whether gas accretion rates and BH spins can be used as tracers of the radio loudness of active galactic nuclei (AGN). We find that the current observational indications of an increasing trend of radio-loud AGN fractions with stellar and BH mass can be easily obtained when placing lower limits on the BH spin, with a minimum influence from limits on the accretion rates; a model with random accretion disc orientations is unable to reproduce this trend. Our results favour a scenario where the BH spin is a key parameter to separate the radio-loud and radio-quiet galaxy populations.  相似文献   

10.
In this paper, we explore the gravitomagnetic interaction of a black hole (BH) with a misaligned accretion disc to study BH spin precession and alignment jointly with BH mass M BH and spin parameter a evolution, under the assumption that the disc is continually fed, in its outer region, by matter with angular momentum fixed on a given direction     . We develop an iterative scheme based on the adiabatic approximation to study the BH–disc co-evolution: in this approach, the accretion disc transits through a sequence of quasi-steady warped states (Bardeen–Petterson effect) and interacts with the BH until the spin   J BH  aligns with     . For a BH aligning with a corotating disc, the fractional increase in mass is typically less than a few per cent, while the spin modulus can increase up to a few tens of per cent. The alignment time-scale     is of  ∼105–106 yr  for a maximally rotating BH accreting at the Eddington rate. BH–disc alignment from an initially counter-rotating disc tends to be more efficient compared to the specular corotating case due to the asymmetry seeded in the Kerr metric: counter-rotating matter carries a larger and opposite angular momentum when crossing the innermost stable orbit, so that the spin modulus decreases faster and so the relative inclination angle.  相似文献   

11.
We present an analysis of X-ray variability in a sample of 156 radio-quiet quasars taken from the ROSAT archive, covering a redshift range  0.12)  in the sense that QSOs of the same X-ray luminosity are more variable at  z>2  . We discuss possible explanations for this effect. The simplest explanation may be that high-redshift QSOs are accreting at a larger fraction of the Eddington limit than local AGNs.  相似文献   

12.
Motivated by recent observational studies of the environment of   z ∼ 6  QSOs, we have used the Millennium Run (MR) simulations to construct a very large  (∼4°× 4°)  mock redshift survey of star-forming galaxies at   z ∼ 6  . We use this simulated survey to study the relation between density enhancements in the distribution of i 775-dropouts and Lyα emitters, and their relation to the most massive haloes and protocluster regions at   z ∼ 6  . Our simulation predicts significant variations in surface density across the sky with some voids and filaments extending over scales of 1°, much larger than probed by current surveys. Approximately one-third of all   z ∼ 6  haloes hosting i -dropouts brighter than   z = 26.5  mag  (≈ M *UV, z =6)  become part of   z = 0  galaxy clusters. i -dropouts associated with protocluster regions are found in regions where the surface density is enhanced on scales ranging from a few to several tens of arcminutes on the sky. We analyse two structures of i -dropouts and Lyα emitters observed with the Subaru Telescope and show that these structures must be the seeds of massive clusters in formation. In striking contrast, six   z ∼ 6  QSO fields observed with Hubble Space Telescope show no significant enhancements in their i 775-dropout number counts. With the present data, we cannot rule out the QSOs being hosted by the most massive haloes. However, neither can we confirm this widely used assumption. We conclude by giving detailed recommendations for the interpretation and planning of observations by current and future ground- and space-based instruments that will shed new light on questions related to the large-scale structure at   z ∼ 6  .  相似文献   

13.
We model the cosmological co-evolution of galaxies and their central supermassive black holes (BHs) within a semi-analytical framework developed on the outputs of the Millennium Simulation. This model, described in detail by Croton et al. and De Lucia and Blaizot, introduces a 'radio mode' feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) at the centre of X-ray emitting atmospheres in galaxy groups and clusters. Thanks to this mechanism, the model can simultaneously explain: (i) the low observed mass dropout rate in cooling flows; (ii) the exponential cut-off in the bright end of the galaxy luminosity function and (iii) the bulge-dominated morphologies and old stellar ages of the most massive galaxies in clusters. This paper is the first of a series in which we investigate how well this model can also reproduce the physical properties of BHs and AGN. Here we analyse the scaling relations, the fundamental plane and the mass function of BHs, and compare them with the most recent observational data. Moreover, we extend the semi-analytic model to follow the evolution of the BH mass accretion and its conversion into radiation, and compare the derived AGN bolometric luminosity function with the observed one. While we find for the most part a very good agreement between predicted and observed BH properties, the semi-analytic model underestimates the number density of luminous AGN at high redshifts, independently of the adopted Eddington factor and accretion efficiency. However, an agreement with the observations is possible within the framework of our model, provided it is assumed that the cold gas fraction accreted by BHs at high redshifts is larger than at low redshifts.  相似文献   

14.
The colours of high-redshift Type II quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) are synthesized from observations of moderate-redshift systems. It is shown that Type II QSOs are comparable to starbursts at matching the colours of z 850-dropouts and i 775-drops in the Hubble UltraDeep Field , and more naturally account for the bluest objects detected. Type II QSOs may also account for some of the i 775-drops detected in the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) fields. It is shown that by combining imaging data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope , it will be possible to clearly separate Type II QSOs from Type I QSOs and starbursts based on their colours. Similarly, it is shown that the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) ZYJ filters may be used to discriminate high-redshift Type II QSOs from other objects. If Type II QSOs are prevalent at high redshifts, then active galactic nuclei (AGNs) may be major contributors to the re-ionization of the intergalactic medium.  相似文献   

15.
We have examined the spatial distribution of 856 AGN detected by the ROSAT All-Sky Survey (RASS) using a direct search for structures with the minimal spanning tree. The AGNs were compiled from an area of ∼7000 deg2, in which optical identifications of RASS sources were made with the help of the digitized objective prism plates of the Hamburg Quasar Survey (HQS). Redshifts were taken from the literature or from own follow-up observations. The sample probes the spatial distribution at low redshifts, because the redshift distribution peaks at z ∼0.1. The application of the minimal spanning tree led to a 1.8 σ discovery of an AGN group with seven members in a volume V ∼140×75×75  h −3 Mpc3 in the Pisces constellation. With a mean redshift z =0.27 this group is only the third discovered group at redshifts z <0.5. The RASS offers excellent possibilities to study large-scale structure with AGNs at low redshifts, once these redshifts are determined.  相似文献   

16.
Under the assumption that accretion on to massive black holes (BHs) powers active galactic nuclei (AGNs), the mass function (MF) of the BHs responsible for their past activity is estimated. For this, we take into account not only the activity related to the optically selected AGNs, but also that required to produce the hard X-ray background (HXRB). The MF of the massive dark objects (MDOs) in nearby quiescent galaxies is computed by means of the most recent results on their demography. The two mass functions match well under the assumption that the activity is concentrated in a single significant burst with λ L L Edd being a weakly increasing function of luminosity. This behaviour may be indicative of some level of recurrence and/or of accretion rates insufficient to maintain the Eddington rates in low-luminosity/low-redshift objects. Our results support the scenario in which the early phase of intense nuclear activity occurred mainly in early-type galaxies (E/S0) during the relatively short period in which they still had an abundant interstellar medium. Only recently, with the decline of the quasi-stellar object (QSO) luminosities, did the activity in late‐type galaxies (Sa/Sab) become statistically significant.  相似文献   

17.
An angular correlation of low significance (2 σ ) is observed between 0.3< z <0.5 QSOs and V 23 galaxies. Overall, the cross-correlation function between 82 intermediate-redshift (0.3< z <0.7) X-ray selected QSOs and V ≲24 galaxies is investigated, but no signal is detected for the z >0.5 QSOs. After converting to an excess of galaxies physically associated with the QSO, this lack of strong correlation is shown to be consistent with the clustering of normal galaxies at the same moderate redshifts. Combined with previous observations, these results imply that the environments of radio-quiet QSOs do not undergo significant evolution with respect to the galaxy population over a wide range of redshifts (0< z <1.5). This is in marked contrast to the rapid increase in the richness of the environments associated with radio-loud QSOs over the same redshift range.  相似文献   

18.
We use recent observations of high-redshift galaxies to study the evolution of galactic discs over the redshift range 0 <  z ≲1. The data are inconsistent with models in which discs were already assembled at z  = 1 and have evolved only in luminosity since that time. Assuming that disc properties change with redshift as powers of 1 +   z and analysing the observations assuming an Einstein–de Sitter universe, we find that for given rotation speed, disc scalelength decreases with z as ∼ (1 +  z )−1, total B -band mass-to-light ratio decreases with z as ∼ (1 +  z )−1, and disc luminosity (again in B ) depends only weakly on z . These scalings are consistent with current data on the evolution of disc galaxy abundance as a function of size and luminosity. Both the scalings and the abundance evolution are close to the predictions of hierarchical models for galaxy formation. If different cosmogonies are compared, the observed evolution in disc size and disc abundance favours a flat low-Ω0 universe over an Einstein–de Sitter universe.  相似文献   

19.
We analyse the evolutionary history of galaxies formed in a hierarchical scenario consistent with the concordance Lambda cold dark matter (ΛCDM) model focusing on the study of the relation between their chemical and dynamical properties. Our simulations consistently describe the formation of the structure and its chemical enrichment within a cosmological context. Our results indicate that the luminosity–metallicity and the stellar mass–metallicity (LZR and MZR) relations are naturally generated in a hierarchical scenario. Both relations are found to evolve with redshift. In the case of the MZR, the estimated evolution is weaker than that deduced from observational works by approximately 0.10 dex. We also determine a characteristic stellar mass, M c≈ 3 × 1010 M, which segregates the simulated galaxy population into two distinctive groups and which remains unchanged since z ∼ 3, with a very weak evolution of its metallicity content. The value and role played by M c is consistent with the characteristic mass estimated from the SDSS galaxy survey by Kauffmann et al. Our findings suggest that systems with stellar masses smaller than M c are responsible for the evolution of this relation at least from z ≈ 3. Larger systems are stellar dominated and have formed more than 50 per cent of their stars at   z ≥ 2  , showing very weak evolution since this epoch. We also found bimodal metallicity and age distributions from z ∼ 3, which reflects the existence of two different galaxy populations. Although SN feedback may affect the properties of galaxies and help to shape the MZR, it is unlikely that it will significantly modify M c since, from   z = 3  this stellar mass is found in systems with circular velocities larger than 100 km s−1.  相似文献   

20.
There is strong evidence for some kind of massive dark object in the centres of many galaxy bulges. The detection of flares from tidally disrupted stars could confirm that these objects are black holes (BHs). Here we present calculations of the stellar disruption rates in detailed dynamical models of real galaxies, taking into account the refilling of the loss cone of stars on disruptable orbits by two-body relaxation and tidal forces in non-spherical galaxies. The highest disruption rates (one star per 104 yr) occur in faint ( L ≲1010 L) galaxies, which have steep central density cusps. More luminous galaxies are less dense and have much longer relaxation times and more massive BHs. Dwarf stars in such galaxies are swallowed whole by the BH and hence do not emit flares; giant stars could produce flares as often as every 105 yr, although the rate depends sensitively on the shape of the stellar distribution function. We discuss the possibility of detecting disruption flares in current supernova searches. The total mass of stars consumed over the lifetime of the galaxy is of the order of 106 M, independent of galaxy luminosity; thus, disrupted stars may contribute significantly to the present BH mass in galaxies fainter than ∼109 L.  相似文献   

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