The near-IR M bh-L and M bh-n relations

Abstract

We present near-infrared (near-IR) surface photometry (2D profiling) for a sample of 29 nearby galaxies for which supermassive black hole (SMBH) masses are constrained. The data are derived from the UKIDSS-LAS representing a significant improvement in image quality and depth over previous studies based on Two Micron All Sky Survey data. We derive the spheroid luminosity and spheroid Sérsic index for each galaxy with galfit3 and use these data to construct SMBH mass-bulge luminosity (M bh-L) and SMBH-Sérsic index (M bh-n) relations. The best-fitting K-band relation for elliptical and disc galaxies is log(M bh/M ⊙) =-0.36(±0.03)(M K+ 18) + 6.17(±0.16), with an intrinsic scatter of 0.4 +0.09-0.06dex, whilst for elliptical galaxies we find log(M bh/M ⊙) =-0.42(±0.06)(M K+ 22) + 7.5(±0.15), with an intrinsic scatter of 0.31 +0.087-0.047dex. Our revised M bh-L relation agrees closely with the previous near-IR constraint by Graham. The lack of improvement in the intrinsic scatter in moving to higher quality near-IR data suggests that the SMBH relations are not currently limited by the quality of the imaging data but is either intrinsic or a result of uncertainty in the precise number of required components required in the profiling process. Contrary to expectation, a relation between SMBH mass and the Sérsic index was not found at near-IR wavelengths. This latter outcome is believed to be explained by the generic inconsistencies between 1D and 2D galaxy profiling which are currently under further investigation. © 2011 The Authors Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society © 2011 RAS.