The X-Ray Halo Scaling Relations of Supermassive Black Holes

Journal
Date Issued
2019
Author(s)
•
Eckert, D.
•
•
•
Bassini, L.
•
•
Brighenti, F.
•
Sun, M.
•
•
Johnson, S. D.
•
Tremblay, G. R.
•
Stone, J. M.
•
Temi, P.
•
Yang, H.-Y. K.
•
•
DOI
Abstract
We carry out a comprehensive Bayesian correlation analysis between hot halos and direct masses of supermassive black holes (SMBHs), by retrieving the X-ray plasma properties (temperature, luminosity, density, pressure, and masses) over galactic to cluster scales for 85 diverse systems. We find new key scalings, with the tightest relation being M_bh - T_x, followed by M_bh - L_x. The tighter scatter (down to 0.2 dex) and stronger correlation coefficient of all the X-ray halo scalings compared with the optical counterparts (as the M_bh - σ_e) suggest that plasma halos play a more central role than stars in tracing and growing SMBHs (especially those that are ultramassive). Moreover, M_bh correlates better with the gas mass than dark matter mass. We show the important role of the environment, morphology, and relic galaxies/coronae, as well as the main departures from virialization/self-similarity via the optical/X-ray fundamental planes. We test the three major channels for SMBH growth: hot/Bondi-like models have inconsistent anticorrelation with X-ray halos and too low feeding; cosmological simulations find SMBH mergers as subdominant over most of cosmic time and too rare to induce a central-limit-theorem effect; the scalings are consistent with chaotic cold accretion, the rain of matter condensing out of the turbulent X-ray halos that sustains a long-term self-regulated feedback loop. The new correlations are major observational constraints for models of SMBH feeding/feedback in galaxies, groups, and clusters (e.g., to test cosmological hydrodynamical simulations), and enable the study of SMBHs not only through X-rays, but also via the Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect (Compton parameter), lensing (total masses), and cosmology (gas fractions).
Volume
884
Issue
2
Start page
169
Uri
Url
Issn Identifier
0004-637X
Ads BibCode
2019ApJ...884..169G
Rights
open.access
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