The cosmic evolution of the black hole mass / bulge mass ratio

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Lutz Wisotzki
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2007 to 2012
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 42000589

• Final Report Year: 2012

Final Report Abstract

We have conducted an extensive study of the statistical properties of the relation between black holes – in particular active ones – and their host galaxies. We determined several important distribution functions characterising the AGN population in the local universe: The z ≈ 0 optical luminosity function of type 1 AGN; the mass function of active black holes and the mass-dependence of the active fraction of black holes; and the distribution of Eddington ratios. These distribution functions are instrumental in order to quantify the inevitable selection biases affecting observations of the important black hole - bulge relations and their evolution with redshift. We developed a new formalism to predict these biases for a specific observational setup and found them to be of similar magnitude and sign as several recently observed trends; we conclude that no statistically significant observational evidence for evolution has yet been detected. In a separate but related study we improved on several black hole masses obtained through stellar dynamical measurements and modelling.

Publications

• (2008). The mass function of local active black holes. Memorie della Societa Astronomica Italiana, 79, 1318
  Schulze, A., & Wisotzki, L.
  
• (2009). Low redshift AGN in the Hamburg/ESO survey-I. The local AGN luminosity function. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 507(2), 781-793
  Schulze A., Wisotzki L. & Husemann B.
  
• (2010). Low redshift AGN in the Hamburg/ESO Survey-II. The active black hole mass function and the distribution function of Eddington ratios. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 516, A87
  Schulze A. & Wisotzki L.
  
• 2010, IAU Symposium, 267, 266
  Schulze, A., & Wisotzki, L.
  
• (2011). Effect of a dark matter halo on the determination of black hole masses. The Astrophysical Journal, 729(1), 21.
  Schulze A. & Gebhardt K.
  
• 2011, Demographics of supermassive black holes. PhD Dissertation, University of Potsdam
  Schulze, A.
  
• Selection effects in the black hole-bulge relation and its evolution. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 535, A87
  Schulze A. & Wisotzki L.