Evidence for Evolutionary Pathway-dependent Black Hole Scaling Relations
Recent observations have identified an abundance of high-redshift active galactic nuclei (AGN) with overmassive supermassive black holes (BHs) compared to the local BH mass−total stellar mass ( M _BH – M _⋆ ) relation for AGN. High- z M _BH measurements are critical for probing growth histories of B...
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2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adf100 |
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| author | Jonathan H. Cohn Emmanuel Durodola Quinn O. Casey Erini Lambrides Ryan C. Hickox |
| author_facet | Jonathan H. Cohn Emmanuel Durodola Quinn O. Casey Erini Lambrides Ryan C. Hickox |
| author_sort | Jonathan H. Cohn |
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| description | Recent observations have identified an abundance of high-redshift active galactic nuclei (AGN) with overmassive supermassive black holes (BHs) compared to the local BH mass−total stellar mass ( M _BH – M _⋆ ) relation for AGN. High- z M _BH measurements are critical for probing growth histories of BHs and their host galaxies, including BH seeding and evolution of the M _BH – M _⋆ relation. However, BH masses in high- z AGN are generally estimated from single-epoch measurements, which carry large systematic uncertainties. More reliable M _BH detection methods like dynamical measurements are currently only possible in the local Universe or with strongly lensed systems. Fortunately, new dynamical M _BH measurements in a sample of six local galaxies identified as likely relics of common quiescent red nugget galaxies at cosmic noon, as well as a z ∼ 2 lensed red nugget, present a complementary probe of high- z relations. We compare the z ∼ 2 red nugget and relic BHs to recent results for 4 < z < 11 AGN, quasi-stellar objects, and little red dots. Intriguingly, the z ∼ 2 galaxy and local relics all lie on both the local M _BH – M _⋆ relation for bulges and the 4 < z < 7 M _BH – M _⋆ AGN relation, although high- z AGN remain overmassive compared to both local relations. We conclude it is unlikely that a uniform M _BH – M _⋆ redshift evolution applies to all galaxies. Since total M _⋆ is affected by growth processes that may not drive BH growth, different evolutionary pathways must be carefully considered when building BH scaling relations. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| series | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-4d77cf214ecf4c83a965d5c5438a00e92025-08-20T03:56:10ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052025-01-019882L6110.3847/2041-8213/adf100Evidence for Evolutionary Pathway-dependent Black Hole Scaling RelationsJonathan H. Cohn0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1420-6037Emmanuel Durodola1https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9516-9593Quinn O. Casey2https://orcid.org/0009-0005-9002-4800Erini Lambrides3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3216-7190Ryan C. Hickox4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1468-9526Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College , 6127 Wilder Laboratory, Hanover, NH 03755, USA ; jonathan.cohn@dartmouth.eduDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College , 6127 Wilder Laboratory, Hanover, NH 03755, USA ; jonathan.cohn@dartmouth.eduDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College , 6127 Wilder Laboratory, Hanover, NH 03755, USA ; jonathan.cohn@dartmouth.eduNASA-Goddard Space Flight Center , Code 662, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College , 6127 Wilder Laboratory, Hanover, NH 03755, USA ; jonathan.cohn@dartmouth.eduRecent observations have identified an abundance of high-redshift active galactic nuclei (AGN) with overmassive supermassive black holes (BHs) compared to the local BH mass−total stellar mass ( M _BH – M _⋆ ) relation for AGN. High- z M _BH measurements are critical for probing growth histories of BHs and their host galaxies, including BH seeding and evolution of the M _BH – M _⋆ relation. However, BH masses in high- z AGN are generally estimated from single-epoch measurements, which carry large systematic uncertainties. More reliable M _BH detection methods like dynamical measurements are currently only possible in the local Universe or with strongly lensed systems. Fortunately, new dynamical M _BH measurements in a sample of six local galaxies identified as likely relics of common quiescent red nugget galaxies at cosmic noon, as well as a z ∼ 2 lensed red nugget, present a complementary probe of high- z relations. We compare the z ∼ 2 red nugget and relic BHs to recent results for 4 < z < 11 AGN, quasi-stellar objects, and little red dots. Intriguingly, the z ∼ 2 galaxy and local relics all lie on both the local M _BH – M _⋆ relation for bulges and the 4 < z < 7 M _BH – M _⋆ AGN relation, although high- z AGN remain overmassive compared to both local relations. We conclude it is unlikely that a uniform M _BH – M _⋆ redshift evolution applies to all galaxies. Since total M _⋆ is affected by growth processes that may not drive BH growth, different evolutionary pathways must be carefully considered when building BH scaling relations.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adf100High-redshift galaxiesActive galaxiesEarly-type galaxiesActive galactic nucleiSupermassive black holesScaling relations |
| spellingShingle | Jonathan H. Cohn Emmanuel Durodola Quinn O. Casey Erini Lambrides Ryan C. Hickox Evidence for Evolutionary Pathway-dependent Black Hole Scaling Relations The Astrophysical Journal Letters High-redshift galaxies Active galaxies Early-type galaxies Active galactic nuclei Supermassive black holes Scaling relations |
| title | Evidence for Evolutionary Pathway-dependent Black Hole Scaling Relations |
| title_full | Evidence for Evolutionary Pathway-dependent Black Hole Scaling Relations |
| title_fullStr | Evidence for Evolutionary Pathway-dependent Black Hole Scaling Relations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evidence for Evolutionary Pathway-dependent Black Hole Scaling Relations |
| title_short | Evidence for Evolutionary Pathway-dependent Black Hole Scaling Relations |
| title_sort | evidence for evolutionary pathway dependent black hole scaling relations |
| topic | High-redshift galaxies Active galaxies Early-type galaxies Active galactic nuclei Supermassive black holes Scaling relations |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/adf100 |
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