Open AccessThe black hole mass–galaxy age relation
Author(s) -
Merrifield M. R.,
Forbes Duncan A.,
Terlevich A. I.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.058
H-Index - 383
eISSN - 1365-2966
pISSN - 0035-8711
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2000.03461.x
Subject(s) - physics , astrophysics , astronomy , galaxy , interacting galaxy , black hole (networking) , lenticular galaxy , galaxy merger , protogalaxy , stellar mass , galaxy formation and evolution , intergalactic star , luminosity , star formation , computer network , routing protocol , routing (electronic design automation) , computer science , link state routing protocol
We present evidence that there is a significant correlation between the fraction of the mass of a galaxy that lies in its central black hole and the age of the galactic stellar population. Since the absorption‐line indices that are used to estimate the age are luminosity‐weighted, they essentially measure the time since the last significant episode of star formation in the galaxy. The existence of this correlation is consistent with several theories of galaxy formation, including the currently favoured hierarchical picture of galaxy evolution, which predicts just such a relation between the black hole mass and the time since the last burst of merger‐induced star formation. It is not consistent with models in which the massive black hole is primordial, and hence uncoupled from the stellar properties of the galaxy.