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"Davis, Benjamin L"
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Discovery of a Planar Black Hole Mass Scaling Relation for Spiral Galaxies
Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are tiny in comparison to the galaxies they inhabit, yet they manage to influence and coevolve along with their hosts. Evidence of this mutual development is observed in the structure and dynamics of galaxies and their correlations with black hole mass (M •). For our study, we focus on relative parameters that are unique to only disk galaxies. As such, we quantify the structure of spiral galaxies via their logarithmic spiral-arm pitch angles (ϕ) and their dynamics through the maximum rotational velocities of their galactic disks (v max). In the past, we have studied black hole mass scaling relations between M • and ϕ or v max, separately. Now, we combine the three parameters into a trivariate M •–ϕ–v max relationship that yields best-in-class accuracy in prediction of black hole masses in spiral galaxies. Because most black hole mass scaling relations have been created from samples of the largest SMBHs within the most massive galaxies, they lack certainty when extrapolated to low-mass spiral galaxies. Thus, it is difficult to confidently use existing scaling relations when trying to identify galaxies that might harbor the elusive class of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs). Therefore, we offer our novel relationship as an ideal predictor to search for IMBHs and probe the low-mass end of the black hole mass function by utilizing spiral galaxies. Already with rotational velocities widely available for a large population of galaxies and pitch angles readily measurable from uncalibrated images, we expect that the M •–ϕ–v max fundamental plane will be a useful tool for estimating black hole masses, even at high redshifts.
Journal Article
Causal Reversal in the M•–σ0 Relation: Implications for High-redshift Supermassive Black Hole Mass Estimates
The nascent methodology of applying the principles of causal discovery to astrophysical data has produced affirming results about deeply held theories concerning the causal nature behind the observed coevolution of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) with their host galaxies. The key results from observations have demonstrated an apparent causal reversal across different galaxy morphologies—SMBHs causally influence the evolution of the physical parameters of their spiral galaxy hosts, whereas SMBHs in elliptical galaxies are passive companions that grow in near lockstep with their hosts. To further explore and ascertain insights, it is necessary to utilize galaxy simulations to track the time evolution of the observed causal relations to learn more about the temporal nature of the changing SMBH–galaxy evolutionary directions. We conducted experiments with the NIHAO suite of cosmological zoom-in hydrodynamical simulations to follow the evolution of individual galaxies along with their central SMBH masses (M•) and properties including central stellar velocity dispersion (σ0). We reproduce the causal results from real galaxies, but add clarity by observing the SMBH–galaxy causal directions are noticeably inverted between the epochs before and after the peak of star formation. The implications for causal reversal of the M•–σ0 relation portend larger concerns about the reliability of SMBH masses estimated at high redshifts and presumptions of overmassive black holes at early epochs. Toward this problem, we apply updated causally informed scaling relations that predict high-z black hole masses that are approximately 2 orders of magnitude less massive, and thus not overmassive with respect to local z = 0 SMBH–galaxy mass ratios.
Journal Article
Where Have All the Little Red Dots Gone? Supermassive Black Hole Binary Dynamics and Its Impact on Galaxy Properties
Recent James Webb Space Telescope observations have revealed a peculiar class of galaxies at redshifts z ≳ 6, characterized by extremely high central stellar densities and overmassive central supermassive black holes (SMBHs), “little red dots” (LRDs). A critical question remains: if LRDs were common at high redshifts, how would they evolve into local elliptical galaxies with significantly lower central densities? To address this, we performed direct N-body simulations of LRD mergers, focusing on the coevolution of host galaxies and central SMBHs. We track the complete evolution of SMBH binaries into the three-body hardening and gravitational-wave (GW) emission phase. Our results demonstrate that during galaxy mergers, the central SMBHs can eject a substantial amount of mass from the galactic core via the three-body slingshot effect, leading to a decrease in central stellar surface density by an order of magnitude. Additionally, GW recoil can further contribute in making the galaxy centers less dense and more in alignment with low-redshift quiescent galaxies. This transformation occurs on a relatively short timescale of a few ∼100 Myr, implying that LRDs can evolve into lower-redshift elliptical galaxies by z < 4. The timescales for our SMBH mergers vary between 100 and 800 Myr, depending on the initial orbital parameters of the merging galaxies and the mass ratio of the SMBHs. Our findings provide a plausible mechanism for the transformation of LRDs into elliptical galaxies while highlighting the efficiency of SMBH mergers in such high-density environments, which plays a crucial role in SMBH growth.
Journal Article
Causal Discovery in Astrophysics: Unraveling Supermassive Black Hole and Galaxy Coevolution
Correlation does not imply causation, but patterns of statistical association between variables can be exploited to infer a causal structure (even with purely observational data) with the burgeoning field of causal discovery. As a purely observational science, astrophysics has much to gain by exploiting these new methods. The supermassive black hole (SMBH)–galaxy interaction has long been constrained by observed scaling relations, which is low-scatter correlations between variables such as SMBH mass and the central velocity dispersion of stars in a host galaxy's bulge. This study, using advanced causal discovery techniques and an up-to-date data set, reveals a causal link between galaxy properties and dynamically measured SMBH masses. We apply a score-based Bayesian framework to compute the exact conditional probabilities of every causal structure that could possibly describe our galaxy sample. With the exact posterior distribution, we determine the most likely causal structures and notice a probable causal reversal when separating galaxies by morphology. In elliptical galaxies, bulge properties (built from major mergers) tend to influence SMBH growth, while, in spiral galaxies, SMBHs are seen to affect host galaxy properties, potentially through feedback in gas-rich environments. For spiral galaxies, SMBHs progressively quench star formation, whereas, in elliptical galaxies, quenching is complete, and the causal connection has reversed. Our findings support theoretical models of hierarchical assembly of galaxies and active galactic nuclei feedback regulating galaxy evolution. Our study suggests the potentiality for further exploration of causal links in astrophysical and cosmological scaling relations, as well as any other observational science.
Journal Article
Identification of Intermediate-mass Black Hole Candidates among a Sample of Sd Galaxies
We analyzed images of every northern hemisphere Sd galaxy listed in the Third Reference Catalogue of Bright Galaxies with a relatively face-on inclination (θ ≤ 30°). Specifically, we measured the spiral arms’ winding angle, ϕ, in 85 galaxies. We applied a novel black hole mass planar scaling relation involving the rotational velocities (from the literature) and pitch angles of each galaxy to predict central black hole masses. This yielded 23 galaxies, each having at least a 50% chance of hosting a central intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH), 102 < M • ≤ 105 M ☉. These 23 nearby (≲50 Mpc) targets may be suitable for an array of follow-up observations to check for active nuclei. Based on our full sample of 85 Sd galaxies, we estimate that the typical Sd galaxy (which tends to be bulgeless) harbors a black hole with log(M•/M☉)=6.00±0.14 , but with a 27.7% chance of hosting an IMBH, making this morphological type of galaxy fertile ground for hunting elusive IMBHs. Thus, we find that a ∼106 M ☉ black hole corresponds roughly to the onset of bulge development and serves as a conspicuous waypoint along the galaxy–supermassive black hole coevolution journey. Our survey suggests that >1.22% of bright galaxies (B T ≲ 15.5 mag) in the local Universe host an IMBH (i.e., the “occupation fraction”), which implies a number density >4.96 × 10−6 Mpc−3 for central IMBHs. Finally, we observe that Sd galaxies exhibit an unexpected diversity of properties that resemble the general population of spiral galaxies, albeit with an enhanced signature of the eponymous prototypical traits (i.e., low masses, loosely wound spiral arms, and smaller rotational velocities).
Journal Article
Probing the Low-Mass End of the Black Hole Mass Function via a Study of Faint Local Spiral Galaxies
We present an analysis of the pitch angle distribution function (PADF) for nearby galaxies and its resulting black hole mass function (BHMF) via the well-known relationship between pitch angle and black hole mass. Our sample consists of a subset of 74 spiral galaxies from the Carnegie-Irvine Galaxy Survey with absolute B-band magnitude MB>−19.12 mag and luminosity distance DL≤25.4 Mpc, which is an extension of a complementary set of 140 more luminous (MB≤−19.12 mag) late-type galaxies. We find the PADFs of the two samples are, somewhat surprisingly, not strongly dissimilar; a result that may hold important implications for spiral formation theories. Our data show a distinct bimodal population manifest in the pitch angles of the Sa–Sc types and separately the Scd–Sm types, with Sa–Sc types having tighter spiral arms on average. Importantly, we uncover a distinct bifurcation of the BHMF, such that the Sa–Sc galaxies typically host so-called “supermassive” black holes (M•≳106M⊙), whereas Scd–Sm galaxies accordingly harbor black holes that are “less-than-supermassive” (M•≲106M⊙). It is amongst this latter population of galaxies where we expect fruitful bounties of elusive intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs), through which a better understanding will help form more precise benchmarks for future generations of gravitational wave detectors.
Journal Article
Surface-Controlled Conversion of Ammonia Borane from Boron Nitride
“One-pot regeneration”, which is simple regneneration method of ammonia borane (AB) using hydrazine and liquid ammonia, enables conversion of AB from hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) after milling hydrogenation. Solution 11B-NMR revealed the presence of AB after NH3/N2H4 treatment of milled h-BN (BNHx) although the yield of AB was less than 5%. The conversion mechanism was clarified as B-H bonds on the h-BN surface created by ball-milling under hydrogen pressure have an ability to form AB, which was confirmed by Thermogravimetry-Residual Gas Analysis (TG-RGA) and Infrared (IR) analysis. The reaction routes are also the same as regeneration route of polyborazylene because intermediates of AB such as (B(NH2)3 and hydrazine borane were found by solution 11B-NMR after soaking BNHx in liquid NH3 and hydrazine, respectively. Because of the fact that all reactions proceed on the h-BN surface and no reaction proceeds when neat h-BN is treated, breaking of B3N3 ring structure and then creation of B-H bond is the key issue to increase conversion yield of AB.
Journal Article
The (Black Hole Mass)–(Spheroid Stellar Density) Relations: M BH–μ (and M BH–Σ) and M BH–ρ
This paper is the fourth in a series presenting (galaxy morphology, and thus galaxy formation)-dependent black hole (BH) mass, M BH, scaling relations. We have used a sample of 119 galaxies with directly measured M BH and host spheroid parameters obtained from multicomponent decomposition of, primarily, 3.6 μm Spitzer images. Here, we investigate the correlations between M BH and the projected (apparent) luminosity density μ, the projected stellar mass density Σ, and the de-projected (internal) stellar mass density ρ, for various spheroid radii. We discover the predicted M BH–μ 0,sph relation and present the first M BH–μ e,sph and M BH–ρ e,int,sph diagrams displaying slightly different (possibly curved) trends for early- and late-type galaxies (ETGs and LTGs, respectively) and an offset between ETGs with (fast-rotators, ES/S0) and without (slow-rotators, E) a disk. The scatter about various M BH–〈Σ〉R,sph (and 〈ρ〉 r,sph) relations is shown to systematically decrease as the enclosing aperture (and volume) increases, dropping from 0.69 dex when using the spheroid “compactness,” 〈Σ〉1kpc,sph, to 0.59 dex when using 〈Σ〉5kpc,sph. We also reveal that M BH correlates with the internal density, ρ soi,sph, at the BH’s sphere-of-influence radius, such that core-Sérsic (high Sérsic index, n) and (low-n) Sérsic galaxies define different relations with total rms scatters 0.21 dex and 0.77 dex, respectively. The M BH–〈ρ〉soi,sph relations will help with direct estimation of tidal disruption event rates, binary BH lifetimes, and together with other BH scaling relations, improve the characteristic strain estimates for long-wavelength gravitational waves pursued with pulsar timing arrays and space-based interferometers.
Journal Article
Spirality: A Novel Way to Measure Spiral Arm Pitch Angle
We present the MATLAB code Spirality, a novel method for measuring spiral arm pitch angles by fitting galaxy images to spiral templates of known pitch. Computation time is typically on the order of 2 min per galaxy, assuming 8 GB of working memory. We tested the code using 117 synthetic spiral images with known pitches, varying both the spiral properties and the input parameters. The code yielded correct results for all synthetic spirals with galaxy-like properties. We also compared the code’s results to two-dimensional Fast Fourier Transform (2DFFT) measurements for the sample of nearby galaxies defined by DMS PPak. Spirality’s error bars overlapped 2DFFT’s error bars for 26 of the 30 galaxies. The two methods’ agreement correlates strongly with galaxy radius in pixels and also with i-band magnitude, but not with redshift, a result that is consistent with at least some galaxies’ spiral structure being fully formed by z=1.2, beyond which there are few galaxies in our sample. The Spirality code package also includes GenSpiral, which produces FITS images of synthetic spirals, and SpiralArmCount, which uses a one-dimensional Fast Fourier Transform to count the spiral arms of a galaxy after its pitch is determined. All code is freely available.
Journal Article