Abstract

We calibrate reverberation-based black hole masses in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) by using the correlation between black hole mass, MBH, and bulge/spheroid stellar velocity dispersion, σ[sigma]∗. We use new measurements of σ[sigma]∗ for 6 AGNs and published velocity dispersions for 10 others, in conjunction with improved reverberation mapping results, to determine the scaling factor required to bring reverberation-based black hole masses into agreement with the quiescent galaxy MBH–σ[sigma]∗ relationship. The scatter in the AGN BH masses is found to be less than a factor of 3. The current observational uncertainties preclude use of the scaling factor to discriminate between broad-line region models. (Refer to PDF file for exact formulas).

Publication Date

11-10-2004

Comments

This is the pre-print of an article published by the American Astronomical Society. The final, published version is available here: https://doi.org/10.1086/424655

© 2004 The American Astronomical Society

Also archived in: arXiv:astro-ph/0407297 v1 14 Jul 2004

We acknowledge support for this work through NSF Grant AST0205964 to The Ohio State University. A. W. acknowledges support by BSF under grant number 1999-336.

Note: imported from RIT’s Digital Media Library running on DSpace to RIT Scholar Works in February 2014.

Document Type

Article

Department, Program, or Center

School of Physics and Astronomy (COS)

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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