Inferences on Relations between Distant Supermassive Black Holes and Their Hosts Complemented by the Galaxy Fundamental Plane

Abstract

The realization of fundamental relations between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies would have profound implications in astrophysics. To add further context to studies of their coevolution, an investigation is carried out to gain insight as to whether quasars and their hosts at earlier epochs follow the local relation between black hole mass ( M BH ) and stellar velocity dispersion ( σ * ). We use 584 Sloan Digital Sky Survey quasars at 0.2 < z < 0.8 with black hole measurements and properties of their hosts from the Hyper Suprime-Cam Subaru Strategic Program. An inference of σ * is achieved for each based on the total stellar mass ( M * ) and size of the host galaxy by using the galaxy mass fundamental plane for inactive galaxies at similar redshifts. In agreement with past studies, quasars occupy elevated positions from the local M BH − σ * relation which can be considered as a flattening of the relation. Based on a simulated sample, we demonstrate that an evolving intrinsic M BH − σ * relation can match the observations. However, we hypothesize that these changes are simply a consequence of a nonevolving intrinsic relationship between M BH and M * . Reassuringly, there is evidence of migration onto the local M BH − σ * for galaxies that are either massive, quiescent or compact. Thus, the bulges of quasar hosts at high redshift are growing and likely to align onto the mass scaling relation with their black holes at later times.