Host Galaxy Bulge Predictors of Supermassive Black Hole Mass

Abstract

A variety of host galaxy (bulge) parameters are examined in order to determine their predictive power in ascertaining the masses of the supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at the centers of the galaxies. Based on a sample of 23 nearby galaxies, comprised of both elliptical galaxies and spiral/lenticular bulges, we identify a strong correlation between the bulge gravitational binding energy (E-g), as traced by the stellar light profile, and the SMBH mass (M-center dot), such that M-center dot proportional to E-g(0.6). The scatter about the relationship indicates that this is as strong a predictor of M-center dot as the velocity dispersion (sigma), for the elliptical galaxy subsample. Improved mass-to-light ratios, obtained with IFU spectroscopy and I-band photometry by the SAURON group, were used for those sample galaxies where available, resulting in an energy predictor with the same slope, but with reduced scatter. Alternative M-center dot predictors such as the gravitational potential and the bulge mass are also explored, but these are found to be inferior when compared with both the bulge gravitational binding energy and bulge velocity dispersion predictors, for the full galaxy sample.