Open AccessAGN‐controlled cooling in elliptical galaxies
Author(s) -
Best P. N.,
Kaiser C. R.,
Heckman T. M.,
Kauffmann G.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
monthly notices of the royal astronomical society: letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.067
H-Index - 122
eISSN - 1745-3933
pISSN - 1745-3925
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2006.00159.x
Subject(s) - physics , astrophysics , radio galaxy , elliptical galaxy , galaxy , luminosity function , luminosity , galaxy formation and evolution , active galactic nucleus , lenticular galaxy , brightest cluster galaxy , galaxy merger , astronomy
A long‐standing problem for models of galaxy formation has been the mismatch between the predicted shape of the mass function of dark matter halos and the observed shape of the luminosity function of galaxies. The number of massive haloes is predicted to decrease as a power law ( N ∝ M −2 ) out to very large masses, while the galaxy luminosity function cuts off exponentially at luminosities above L * . This implies that the efficiency with which gas cools onto massive systems is lower than expected. This letter investigates the role of radio‐loud active galactic nuclei (AGN) in continually re‐heating the cooling gas. By combining two observational results, the time‐averaged energy output associated with recurrent radio source activity is determined, as a function of the black hole mass of the host galaxy: . It is shown that for massive elliptical galaxies this radio‐source heating balances the radiative energy losses from the hot gas surrounding the galaxy. The recurrent radio‐loud AGN activity may therefore provide a self‐regulating feedback mechanism capable of controlling the rate of growth of galaxies.