Mass Functions of Supermassive Black Holes across Cosmic Time
The black hole mass function of supermassive black holes describes the evolution of the distribution of black hole mass. It is one of the primary empirical tools available for mapping the growth of supermassive black holes and for constraining theoretical models of their evolution. In this paper, we...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2012-01-01
|
| Series: | Advances in Astronomy |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/970858 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | The black hole mass function of supermassive black holes describes
the evolution of the distribution of black hole mass. It is one of the
primary empirical tools available for mapping the growth of supermassive
black holes and for constraining theoretical models of their
evolution. In this paper, we discuss methods for estimating the black
hole mass function, including their advantages and disadvantages. We
also review the results of using these methods for estimating the mass
function of both active and inactive black holes. In addition, we review
current theoretical models for the growth of supermassive black holes
that predict the black hole mass function. We conclude with a discussion
of directions for future research which will lead to improvement
in both empirical and theoretical determinations of the mass function
of supermassive black holes. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1687-7969 1687-7977 |