Magellan Spectroscopy of AGNs in Low-mass Galaxies: Scaling Relations and a Triple-Peaked AGN

TL;DR

This study investigates black hole scaling relations in low-mass galaxies using Magellan spectroscopy, confirming their consistency with higher mass galaxies and discovering a galaxy with a complex triple-peaked emission line profile indicating an AGN-driven outflow.

Contribution

It provides new measurements of black hole masses and velocity dispersions in low-mass galaxies, and reports the first observation of a triple-peaked AGN emission line profile in such a galaxy.

Findings

Low-mass galaxies follow established black hole scaling relations.

Identification of a galaxy with triple-peaked emission lines suggesting complex gas kinematics.

Evidence of AGN-driven outflows and extended ionized gas regions.

Abstract

In this work, we aim to further populate the low-mass regime of black hole (BH) scaling relations to better understand the formation and growth mechanisms of central supermassive BHs. We target six galaxies that have been previously identified as hosting active galactic nuclei (AGN) based on optical spectroscopy from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey or the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) with stellar masses reported to be M$_\star < 5 \times 10^9$ M$_\odot$. Using follow-up optical spectroscopy from the Magellan Echellette Spectrograph (MagE), we extract galaxy velocity dispersions ($\sigma_\star$) and estimate virial BH masses from broad H$\alpha$ emission. We find that the galaxies in our sample do not deviate significantly from either the M$_{BH}-\sigma_\star$ or M$_{BH}-$M$_{\star}$ scaling relations defined by higher mass galaxies. Additionally, we identify one galaxy with triple-peaked SII, NII, H$\alpha$ and H$\beta$ emission lines. This spectral shape is not shared by OIII and, in fact, the OIII line appears to have distinct kinematics from the other emission lines. Incorporating the spatial distribution of the various emission lines, we find that the galaxy spectrum is consistent with a prominent central AGN driving an outflow, surrounded by an extended ring/disk of gas predominantly ionized by shocks and/or star formation. This work has implications for the demographics of BHs in low-mass galaxies and the role of AGN feedback.