We present a new approach to measure the mass of a super-massive black hole (SMBH) located at the center of a giant elliptical galaxy. This method applies the well-known technique of using the hot, X-ray emitting plasma as a tracer of the large-scale gravitational potential of a giant galaxy (or galaxy cluster) and extends it far down into the central region of a galaxy using high-resolution X-ray data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. We report the first detection of a SMBH using this method in the Virgo elliptical galaxy, NGC 4649, and present results of preliminary detections in 3 other systems. In addition to providing interesting constraints on the black-hole masses, we show that the stellar mass-to-light ratios of the galaxies computed from this approach agree very well with the prediction from stellar population synthesis models, thus providing strong support for the underlying assumptions of the method (e.g., hydrostatic equilibrium).
Weighing Super-Massive Black Holes with X-Ray Gas / Buote, D. A.; Humphrey, P. J.; Brighenti, F.; Gebhardt, K.; Mathews, W. G.. - STAMPA. - (2010), pp. 264-274. (Intervento presentato al convegno DARK MATTER IN ASTROPHYSICS AND PARTICLE PHYSICS: 7th International Heidelberg Conference on Dark 2009 tenutosi a Christchurch, New Zealand nel 8 - 24 January 2009) [10.1142/9789814293792_0020].
Weighing Super-Massive Black Holes with X-Ray Gas
BRIGHENTI, FABRIZIO;
2010
Abstract
We present a new approach to measure the mass of a super-massive black hole (SMBH) located at the center of a giant elliptical galaxy. This method applies the well-known technique of using the hot, X-ray emitting plasma as a tracer of the large-scale gravitational potential of a giant galaxy (or galaxy cluster) and extends it far down into the central region of a galaxy using high-resolution X-ray data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. We report the first detection of a SMBH using this method in the Virgo elliptical galaxy, NGC 4649, and present results of preliminary detections in 3 other systems. In addition to providing interesting constraints on the black-hole masses, we show that the stellar mass-to-light ratios of the galaxies computed from this approach agree very well with the prediction from stellar population synthesis models, thus providing strong support for the underlying assumptions of the method (e.g., hydrostatic equilibrium).I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
