The M87 Black Hole Mass From Gas-Dynamical Models Of Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph Observations

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dc.contributor.utaustinauthorWalsh, Jonelle Len_US
dc.creatorWalsh, Jonelle L.en_US
dc.creatorBarth, Aaron J.en_US
dc.creatorHo, Luis C.en_US
dc.creatorSarzi, Marcen_US
dc.date.accessioned2016-04-28T19:36:00Z
dc.date.available2016-04-28T19:36:00Z
dc.date.issued2013-06en
dc.description.abstractThe supermassive black hole of M87 is one of the most massive black holes known and has been the subject of several stellar and gas-dynamical mass measurements; however, the most recent revision to the stellar-dynamical black hole mass measurement is a factor of about two larger than the previous gas-dynamical determinations. Here, we apply comprehensive gas-dynamical models that include the propagation of emission-line profiles through the telescope and spectrograph optics to new Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph observations from the Hubble Space Telescope. Unlike the previous gas-dynamical studies of M87, we map out the complete kinematic structure of the emission-line disk within similar to 40 pc from the nucleus, and find that a small amount of velocity dispersion internal to the gas disk is required to match the observed line widths. We examine a scenario in which the intrinsic velocity dispersion provides dynamical support to the disk, and determine that the inferred black hole mass increases by only 6%. Incorporating this effect into the error budget, we ultimately measure a mass of M-BH = (3.5(-0.7)(+0.9)) x 10(9)M circle dot (68% confidence). Our gas-dynamical black hole mass continues to differ from the most recent stellar-dynamical mass by a factor of two, underscoring the need for carrying out more cross-checks between the two main black hole mass measurement methods.en_US
dc.description.departmentAstronomyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipNSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship 1102845en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipSpace Telescope Science Institute 12162en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipNASA NAS 5-26555en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipNSF AST-1108835en_US
dc.identifierdoi:10.15781/T25523
dc.identifier.Filename2013_06_m87blackhole.pdfen_US
dc.identifier.citationWalsh, Jonelle L., Aaron J. Barth, Luis C. Ho, and Marc Sarzi. "The M87 black hole mass from gas-dynamical models of space telescope imaging spectrograph observations." The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 770, No. 2 (Jun., 2013): 86.en_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1088/0004-637x/770/2/86en_US
dc.identifier.issn0004-637Xen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2152/34864
dc.language.isoEnglishen_US
dc.relation.ispartofen_US
dc.relation.ispartofserialAstrophysical Journalen_US
dc.rightsAdministrative deposit of works to Texas ScholarWorks: This works author(s) is or was a University faculty member, student or staff member; this article is already available through open access or the publisher allows a PDF version of the article to be freely posted online. The library makes the deposit as a matter of fair use (for scholarly, educational, and research purposes), and to preserve the work and further secure public access to the works of the University.en_US
dc.rights.restrictionOpenen_US
dc.subjectgalaxies: activeen_US
dc.subjectgalaxies: individual (m87, ngc 4486)en_US
dc.subjectgalaxies:en_US
dc.subjectkinematics and dynamicsen_US
dc.subjectgalaxies: nucleien_US
dc.subjectdark-matter haloen_US
dc.subjectmulti-gaussian expansionen_US
dc.subjectto-light ratioen_US
dc.subjectscalingen_US
dc.subjectrelationsen_US
dc.subjecthost galaxiesen_US
dc.subjectionized-gasen_US
dc.subjectcentaurus-aen_US
dc.subjectvelocity dispersionen_US
dc.subjectlenticular galaxiesen_US
dc.subjectnuclear regionsen_US
dc.subjectastronomy & astrophysicsen_US
dc.titleThe M87 Black Hole Mass From Gas-Dynamical Models Of Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph Observationsen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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