RUI: Spatially-Resolved Kinematics of Reverberation-Mapped Active Galactic Nuclei Host Galaxies

California Polytechnic State University Foundation, San Luis Obispo CA

Investigators

Abstract

Part 1 Most galaxies harbor in their center a very massive black hole with a mass that can range from millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun. They are also known as supermassive black holes. The origin of supermassive black holes is an important open question in astronomy. For supermassive black holes growing through accretion of dust and gas in the centers of so-called "active galaxies", their mass can be measured through an observing technique known as "echo mapping". In this work, the PI will study the properties of the host galaxies for a sample of 33 active galaxies for which the mass of the supermassive black hole has been previously determined through echo mapping. They have obtained data with some of the largest telescopes world-wide, the Keck telescope (Hawaii) and the Very Large Telescope (Chile). Their state-of-the art instruments allow the PI to measure spectra (the distribution of light over different wavelengths, similar to a rainbow) over the entire galaxy within one single observation. They will study the relationship between the mass of the supermassive black hole and the kinematics of the stars in the galaxy, a measure of the galaxy mass. The tightness of such a relationship indicates that supermassive black holes and galaxies grow together. Their sample extends existing relationships into the high mass regime and can be used to study trends with mass and galaxy morphology. This will enhance understanding of the growth and evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies. While echo mapping is time consuming, its results have enabled black-hole mass estimates for active galaxies across the universe. The PI's sample will serve as a calibrator for these black-hole mass measurements. Part 2 Supermassive Black Holes are very massive black holes in the center of galaxies with millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun. The origin of supermassive black holes is an important open question in astronomy. For supermassive black holes growing through accretion of dust and gas in the centers of so-called "active galaxies", their mass can be measured through an observing technique known as "echo mapping". In this work, the PI will study the properties of the host galaxies for a sample of 33 active galaxies for which the mass of the supermassive black hole has been previously determined through echo mapping. They have obtained data with some of the largest telescopes world-wide, the Keck telescope (Hawaii) and the Very Large Telescope (Chile). Their state-of-the art instruments allow the PI to measure spectra over the entire galaxy within one single observation. They will study the relationship between the mass of the supermassive black hole and the kinematics of the stars in the galaxy, a measure of the galaxy mass. The tightness of such a relationship indicates that supermassive black holes and galaxies grow together. In addition, they will fit images (either created from the spectra or taken by the Hubble Space Telescope) for a detailed host-galaxy decomposition. The sample extends existing relationships into the high mass regime and can be used to study trends with mass and galaxy morphology. This will enhance understanding of the growth and evolution of supermassive black holes and galaxies. While echo mapping is time consuming, its results have enabled black-hole mass estimates for active galaxies across the universe. The PI's sample will serve as a calibrator for these black-hole mass measurements. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.