The distribution of supermassive black holes in the nuclei of nearby galaxies

The growth of supermassive black holes by merging and accretion in hierarchical models of galaxy formation is studied by means of Monte Carlo simulations. A tight linear relation between masses of black holes and masses of bulges arises if the mass accreted by supermassive black holes scales linearly with the mass-forming stars and if the redshift evolution of mass accretion tracks closely that of star formation. Differences in redshift evolution between black hole accretion and star formation introduce a considerable scatter in this relation. A non-linear relation between black hole accretion and star formation results in a non-linear relation between masses of remnant black holes and masses of bulges. The relation of black hole mass to bulge luminosity observed in nearby galaxies and its scatter are reproduced reasonably well by models in which black hole accretion and star formation are linearly related but do not track each other in redshift. This suggests that a common mechanism determines the efficiency for black hole accretion and the efficiency for star formation, especially for bright bulges.     

On the origin of cold dark matter halo density profiles

N -body simulations predict that cold dark matter (CDM) halo-assembly occurs in two phases: (i) a fast-accretion phase with a rapidly deepening potential well; and (ii) a slow-accretion phase characterized by a gentle addition of mass to the outer halo with little change in the inner potential well. We demonstrate, using one-dimensional simulations, that this two-phase accretion leads to CDM haloes of the Navarro, Frenk & White (NFW) form and provides physical insight into the properties of the mass-accretion history that influence the final profile. Assuming that the velocities of CDM particles are effectively isotropized by fluctuations in the gravitational potential during the fast-accretion phase, we show that gravitational collapse in this phase leads to an inner profile  ρ( r ) ∝ r ⁻¹  . Slow accretion on to an established potential well leads to an outer profile with  ρ( r ) ∝ r ⁻³  . The concentration of a halo is determined by the fraction of mass that is accreted during the fast-accretion phase. Using an ensemble of realistic mass-accretion histories, we show that the model predictions of the dependence of halo concentration on halo formation time and, hence, the dependence of halo concentration on halo mass, and the distribution of halo concentrations all match those found in cosmological N -body simulations. Using a simple analytic model that captures much of the important physics, we show that the inner   r ⁻¹  profile of CDM haloes is a natural result of hierarchical mass assembly with an initial phase of rapid accretion.     

Fuelling quasars with hot gas

We consider a model for quasar formation in which massive black holes are formed and fuelled largely by the accretion of hot gas during the process of galaxy formation. In standard hierarchical collapse models, objects about the size of normal galaxies and larger form a dense hot atmosphere when they collapse. We show that if such an atmosphere forms a nearly 'maximal' cooling flow, then a central black hole can accrete at close to its Eddington limit. This leads to exponential growth of a seed black hole, resulting in a quasar in some cases. In this model, the first quasars form soon after the first collapses to produce hot gas. The hot gas is depleted as time progresses, mostly by cooling, so that the accretion rate eventually falls below the threshold for advection-dominated accretion, at which stage radiative efficiency plummets and any quasar turns off. A simple implementation of this model, incorporated into a semi-analytical model for galaxy formation, overproduces quasars when compared with observed luminosity functions, but is consistent with models of the X-ray background, which indicate that most accretion is obscured. It produces few quasars at high redshift owing to the lack of time needed to grow massive black holes. Quasar fuelling by hot gas provides a minimum level, sufficient to power most quasars at redshifts between one and two, to which other sources of fuel can be added. The results are sensitive to feedback effects, such as might result from radio jets and other outflows.     

Extended Press–Schechter theory and the density profiles of dark matter haloes

An inside–out model for the formation of haloes in a hierarchical clustering scenario is studied. The method combines the picture of the spherical infall model and a modification of the extended Press–Schechter theory. The mass accretion rate of a halo is defined to be the rate of its mass increase due to minor mergers. The accreted mass is deposited at the outer shells without changing the density profile of the halo inside its current virial radius. We applied the method to a flat Λ-cold dark matter universe. The resulting density profiles are compared with analytical models proposed in the literature, and a very good agreement is found. A trend is found of the inner density profile to become steeper for larger halo mass, which also results from recent N -body simulations. Additionally, present-day concentrations as well as their time evolution are derived and it is shown that they reproduce the results of large cosmological N -body simulations.     

Black hole spin and radio loudness in a Λ cold dark matter universe

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.     

Accretion of gas on to nearby spiral galaxies

We present evidence for cosmological gas accretion on to spiral galaxies in the local universe. The accretion is seen through its effects on the dynamics of the extraplanar neutral gas. The accretion rates that we estimate for two nearby spiral galaxies are of the order of their star formation rates. Our model shows that most of the extraplanar gas is produced by supernova feedback (galactic fountain) and only 10–20 per cent comes from accretion. The accreting material must have low specific angular momentum about the disc's spin axis, although the magnitude of the specific angular momentum vector can be higher. We also explore the effects of a hot corona on the dynamics of the extraplanar gas and find that it is unlikely to be responsible for the observed kinematical pattern and the source of accreted gas. However, the interaction with the fountain flow should profoundly affect the hydrodynamics of the corona.     

Optical continuum variability of the active galaxy Mrk 279 – implications for different accretion regimes

We present results from a recent broad‐band monitoring in optics of the Seyfert 1 type galaxy Mrk 279. We build and analyse the BV RI light curve covering a period of seven years (1995–2002). We also show some evidence for the existence of two different states in brightness and suggest, based on a modelling of the optical continuum, that these states may result from transition between a thin disk and an ADAF accretion modes. We assume that the short‐term variability is due to a reprocessing of a variable X‐ray emission from an inner ADAF part of the flow, while the long‐term one may be a result from a change of the transition radius. Our tests show a good match with the observations for a reasonable set of accretion parameters, close to the expected ones for Mrk 279. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

High-redshift galaxies, their active nuclei and central black holes

We demonstrate that the luminosity function of the recently detected population of actively star-forming galaxies at redshift z  = 3 and the B -band luminosity function of quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) at the same redshift can both be matched with the mass function of dark matter haloes predicted by standard variants of hierarchical cosmogonies for lifetimes of optically bright QSOs anywhere in the range 10⁶ to 10⁸ yr. There is a strong correlation between the lifetime and the required degree of non-linearity in the relation between black hole and halo mass. We suggest that the mass of supermassive black holes may be limited by the back-reaction of the emitted energy on the accretion flow in a self-gravitating disc. This would imply a relation of black hole to halo mass of the form M _bh ∝  v ⁵_halo ∝  M ^5/3_halo and a typical duration of the optically bright QSO phase of a few times 10⁷ yr. The high integrated mass density of black holes inferred from recent black hole mass estimates in nearby galaxies may indicate that the overall efficiency of supermassive black holes for producing blue light is smaller than previously assumed. We discuss three possible accretion modes with low optical emission efficiency: (i) accretion at far above the Eddington rate, (ii) accretion obscured by dust, and (iii) accretion below the critical rate leading to an advection-dominated accretion flow lasting for a Hubble time. We further argue that accretion with low optical efficiency might be closely related to the origin of the hard X-ray background and that the ionizing background might be progressively dominated by stars rather than QSOs at higher redshift.     

Evolution of Quasar Host Galaxies

Near-IR images, obtained at the ESO-VLT during excellent seeing conditions, of a sample of 17 radio-loud and radio-quiet quasars in the redshift range 1 < z < 2 are presented. The host galaxies of both types of quasars appear to follow the expected trend in luminosity of massive ellipticals undergoing simple passive evolution. We find a systematic difference by a factor ∼2 in the host luminosity between RLQs and RQQs that does not change significantly from z = 2 to the present epoch. Quasar hosts appear thus to be already well formed at z ∼ 2 and similar to massive inactive spheroids. These findings are in disagreement with the predictions of models for the joint formation and evolution of galaxies and active nuclei based on the hierarchical structure formation scenario.     

Environments of Supernova Remnants Which Contain Different Types of Neutron Star

Understanding the formation and evolution of massive galaxies provides important keys to constrain the baryon assembly processes in the ΛCDM hierarchical scenario. We review the main results obtained so far with the K20 and other recent near-IR surveys on the redshift distribution, the evolution of the luminosity function and luminosity density, the nature of old and dusty EROs, the evolution of the galaxy stellar mass function and the nature of luminous starbursts at z∼2 which may be the progenitors of the present-day massive spheroidal galaxies.     

Relativistic Fe Kα features in the XMM‐Newton spectrum of the intermediate Seyfert galaxy 4U 1344‐60

We present the analysis of optical and X‐ray XMM‐Newton data of the source 4U 1344‐60. On the basis of the optical data we propose to classify 4U 1344‐60 as a Seyfert 1.5 galaxy and we measured a redshift value z = 0.012 ± 0.001. The observed X‐ray spectrum is complex. The continuum emission can be described as a power law obscured by two neutral absorption components. 4U 1344‐60 exhibits a broad and skewed iron line at 6.4 keV most likely originated in a few gravitational radius of an accretion disc. The analysis also reveals the presence of two narrow emission line‐like features at ∼4.9 keV and ∼5.3 keV. Assuming that hot spots on the surface of the accretion disc, orbiting very close to the black hole is responsible of these emission lines, the accretion disc would present an inclination of 20° and the active regions would be located in the 6–10 R _g radius range. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The Seyfert-Liner Galaxy NGC 7213: An XMM-Newton Observation

We examine the XMM X-ray spectrum of the low-ionisation nuclear emission-line region (LINER)-AGN NGC 7213, which is best fit with a power law, Kα emission lines from Fe i, Fe xxv and Fe xxvi and a soft X-ray collisionally ionised thermal plasma with kT = 0.18^+0.03_−0.01 keV. We find a luminosity of 7× 10⁻⁴ L_Edd, and a lack of soft X-ray excess emission, suggesting a truncated accretion disc. NGC 7213 has intermediate X-ray spectral properties, between those of the weak AGN found in the LINER M 81 and higher luminosity Seyfert galaxies. This supports the notion of a continuous sequence of X-ray properties from the Galactic Centre through LINER galaxies to Seyferts, likely determined by the amount of material available for accretion in the central regions. This work is based on observations obtained with XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA Member States and the USA (NASA).     

The changing interstellar medium of massive elliptical galaxies and cosmic evolution of radio galaxies and quasars

The recently discovered apparent dramatic expansion in the effective radii of massive elliptical galaxies from   z ≃ 2  to ≃0.1 has been interpreted in terms of either galaxy mergers or the rapid loss of cold gas due to active galactic nuclei (AGN) feedback. In examining the latter case, we have quantified the extent of the expansion, which is uncertain observationally, in terms of the star formation parameters and time of the expulsion of the cold gas. In either case, the large global decrease in stellar density should translate into a major drop in the interstellar medium density and pressure with cosmic epoch. These cosmological changes are expected to have a major influence on the gas accretion mode, which will shift from 'cold' thin disc accretion at high redshifts towards 'hot' Bondi fed Advection Dominated Accretion Flow (ADAF) accretion at low redshifts. The decline of angular momentum inflow would then lead to a spin down of the black hole, for which we have calculated more precise time-scales; a value of about 0.2 Gyr is typical for a  10⁹ M_⊙  central black hole. These results have implications for the different cosmological evolutionary patterns found for the luminosity functions of powerful and weak radio galaxies.     

The universal mass accretion history of cold dark matter haloes

We use the extended Press–Schechter formalism to investigate the rate at which cold dark matter haloes accrete mass. We discuss the shortcomings of previous methods that have been used to compute the mass accretion histories of dark matter haloes, and present an improved method based on the N -branch merger tree algorithm of Somerville & Kolatt. We show that this method no longer suffers from inconsistencies in halo formation times, and compare its predictions with high-resolution N -body simulations. Although the overall agreement is reasonable, there are slight inconsistencies which are most easily interpreted as a reflection of ellipsoidal collapse (as opposed to spherical collapse assumed in the Press–Schechter formalism). We show that the average mass accretion histories follow a simple, universal profile, and we present a simple recipe for computing the two scale-parameters which is applicable to a wide range of halo masses and cosmologies. Together with the universal profiles for the density and angular momentum distributions of cold dark matter haloes, these universal mass accretion histories provide a simple but accurate framework for modelling the structure and formation of dark matter haloes. In particular, they can be used as a backbone for modelling various aspects of galaxy formation where one is not interested in the detailed effects of merging. As an example we use the universal mass accretion history to compute the rate at which dark matter haloes accrete mass, which we compare with the cosmic star formation history of the Universe.     

An XMM‐Newton survey of broad iron lines in AGN

We report on the iron Kα line properties of a sample of Seyfert galaxies observed with the XMM‐Newton EPIC pn instrument. Using a systematic and uniform analysis, we find that complexity at iron‐K is extremely common in the XMM‐Newton spectra. Once appropriate soft X‐ray absorption, narrow 6.4 keV emission and associated Compton reflection are accounted for, ∼75% of the sample show an improvement when a further component is introduced. The typical properties of the broad emission are both qualitatively and quantitatively consistent with previous results from ASCA. The complexity is in general very well described by relativistic accretion disk models. In most cases the characteristic emission radius is constrained to be within ∼50R _g, where strong gravitational effects become important. We find in about 1/3 of the sample the accretion disk interpretation is strongly favoured over competing models. In a few objects no broad line is apparent. We find evidence for emission within 6R _g in only two cases, both of which exhibit highly complex absorption. Evidence for black hole spin based on the X‐ray spectra therefore remains tentative. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Feast and Famine: regulation of black hole growth in low-redshift galaxies

We analyse the observed distribution of Eddington ratios  ( L / L _Edd)  as a function of supermassive black hole mass for a large sample of nearby galaxies drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We demonstrate that there are two distinct regimes of black hole growth in nearby galaxies. The first is associated with galaxies with significant star formation [   M _*/star formation rate (SFR) ∼  a Hubble time] in their central kiloparsec regions, and is characterized by a broad lognormal distribution of accretion rates peaked at a few per cent of the Eddington limit. In this regime, the Eddington ratio distribution is independent of the mass of the black hole and shows little dependence on the central stellar population of the galaxy. The second regime is associated with galaxies with old central stellar populations (   M _*/SFR ≫  a Hubble time), and is characterized by a power-law distribution function of Eddington ratios. In this regime, the time-averaged mass accretion rate on to black holes is proportional to the mass of stars in the galaxy bulge, with a constant of proportionality that depends on the mean stellar age of the stars. This result is once again independent of black hole mass. We show that both the slope of the power law and the decrease in the accretion rate on to black holes in old galaxies are consistent with population synthesis model predictions of the decline in stellar mass loss rates as a function of mean stellar age. Our results lead to a very simple picture of black hole growth in the local Universe. If the supply of cold gas in a galaxy bulge is plentiful, the black hole regulates its own growth at a rate that does not further depend on the properties of the interstellar medium. Once the gas runs out, black hole growth is regulated by the rate at which evolved stars lose their mass.     

Testing the modified Press–Schechter model against N-body simulations

A modified version of the extended Press–Schechter model for the growth of dark-matter haloes was introduced in two previous papers, with the aim of explaining the mass–density relation shown by haloes in high-resolution cosmological simulations. In this model, major mergers are well separated from accretion, thereby allowing a natural definition of halo formation and destruction. This makes it possible to derive analytic expressions for halo formation and destruction rates, the mass accretion rate and the probability distribution functions of halo formation times and progenitor masses. The stochastic merger histories of haloes can be readily derived and easily incorporated into semi-analytical models of galaxy formation, thus avoiding the usual problems encountered in the construction of Monte Carlo merger trees from the original extended Press–Schechter formalism. Here we show that the predictions of the modified Press–Schechter model are in good agreement with the results of N -body simulations for several scale-free cosmologies.     

Compact massive objects in Virgo galaxies: the black hole population

We investigate the distribution of massive black holes (MBHs) in the Virgo cluster. Observations suggest that active galactic nuclei activity is widespread in massive galaxies ( M _*≳ 10¹⁰ M_⊙), while at lower galaxy masses star clusters are more abundant, which might imply a limited presence of central black holes in these galaxy-mass regimes. We explore if this possible threshold in MBH hosting is linked to nature , nurture or a mixture of both. The nature scenario arises naturally in hierarchical cosmologies, as MBH formation mechanisms typically are efficient in biased systems, which would later evolve into massive galaxies. Nurture , in the guise of MBH ejections following MBH mergers, provides an additional mechanism that is more effective for low mass, satellite galaxies. The combination of inefficient formation, and lower retention of MBHs, leads to the natural explanation of the distribution of compact massive objects in Virgo galaxies. If MBHs arrive to the correlation with the host mass and velocity dispersion during merger-triggered accretion episodes, sustained tidal stripping of the host galaxies creates a population of MBHs which lie above the expected scaling between the holes and their host mass, suggesting a possible environmental dependence.     

Chemo-spectrophotometric evolution of spiral galaxies – II. Main properties of present-day disc galaxies

We study the chemical and spectrophotometric evolution of galactic discs with detailed models calibrated on the Milky Way and using simple scaling relations, based on currently popular semi-analytic models of galaxy formation. We compare our results with a large body of observational data on present-day galactic discs, including disc sizes and central surface brightness, Tully–Fisher relations in various wavelength bands, colour–colour and colour–magnitude relations, gas fractions versus magnitudes and colours and abundances versus local and integrated properties, as well as spectra for different galactic rotational velocities. Despite the extremely simple nature of our models, we find satisfactory agreement with all those observables, provided that the time-scale for star formation in low-mass discs is longer than for more massive ones. This assumption is apparently in contradiction with the standard picture of hierarchical cosmology. We find, however, that it is extremely successful in reproducing major features of present-day discs, like the change in the slope of the Tully–Fisher relation with wavelength, the fact that more massive galaxies are on average 'redder' than low-mass ones (a generic problem of standard hierarchical models) and the metallicity–luminosity relation for spirals. It is concluded that, on a purely empirical basis, this new picture is at least as successful as the standard one. Observations at high redshifts could help to distinguish between the two possibilities.