The Blackhole-Dark Matter Halo Connection

TL;DR

This study investigates the link between supermassive black holes and dark matter halos by analyzing their masses and galaxy velocities, finding a weak correlation that suggests dark matter halos may not significantly influence black hole growth.

Contribution

It provides a more direct analysis of the SMBH-dark matter halo connection using galaxy measurements, challenging previous indirect approaches.

Findings

Weak correlation between SMBH mass and galaxy circular velocity

Dark matter halos may not significantly regulate SMBH growth

Uses a heterogeneous galaxy sample with direct measurements

Abstract

We explore the connection between the central supermassive blackholes (SMBH) in galaxies and the dark matter halo through the relation between the masses of the SMBHs and the maximum circular velocities of the host galaxies, as well as the relationship between stellar velocity dispersion of the spheroidal component and the circular velocity. Our assumption here is that the circular velocity is a proxy for the mass of the dark matter halo. We rely on a heterogeneous sample containing galaxies of all types. The only requirement is that the galaxy has a direct measurement of the mass of its SMBH and a direct measurement of its circular velocity and its velocity dispersion. Previous studies have analyzed the connection between the SMBH and dark matter halo through the relationship between the circular velocity and the bulge velocity dispersion, with the assumption that the bulge velocity dispersion stands in for the mass of the SMBH, via the well{}-established SMBH mass{}-bulge velocity dispersion relation. Using intermediate relations may be misleading when one is studying them to decipher the active ingredients of galaxy formation and evolution. We believe that our approach will provide a more direct probe of the SMBH and the dark matter halo connection. We find that the correlation between the mass of supermassive blackholes and the circular velocities of the host galaxies is extremely weak, leading us to state the dark matter halo may not play a major role in regulating the blackhole growth in the present Universe.