Toward measuring supermassive black hole masses with interferometric observations of the dust continuum
Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 669, pp. A14
Abstract
This work focuses on active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and on the relation between the sizes of the hot dust continuum and the broad-line region (BLR). We find that the continuum size measured using optical/near-infrared interferometry (OI) is roughly twice that measured by reverberation mapping (RM). Both OI and RM continuum sizes show a tight relation with the Hβ BLR size, with only an intrinsic scatter of 0.25 dex. The masses of supermassive black holes (BHs) can hence simply be derived from a dust size in combination with a broad line width and virial factor. Since the primary uncertainty of these BH masses comes from the virial factor, the accuracy of the continuum-based BH masses is close to those based on the RM measurement of the broad emission line. Moreover, the necessary continuum measurements can be obtained on a much shorter timescale than those required monitoring for RM, and they are also more time efficient than those needed to resolve the BLR with OI. The primary goal of this work is to demonstrate a measuring of the BH mass based on the dust-continuum size with our first calibration of the RBLR–Rd relation. The current limitation and caveats are discussed in detail. Future GRAVITY observations are expected to improve the continuum-based method and have the potential of measuring BH masses for a large sample of AGNs in the low-redshift Universe.
Authors 42
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University of Lisbon · Instituto Superior Técnico · Centro de Astrofísica e Gravitação
Affiliation as printed
CENTRA – Centro de Astrofísica e Gravitação, IST, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Universidade de Lisboa – Faculdade de Ciências, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 5 Place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Leiden University · Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics · Leiden Observatory
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
Sterrewacht Leiden, Leiden University, Postbus 9513, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics · University of Colorado Boulder · Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Department of Astrophysical & Planetary Sciences, JILA, University of Colorado, Duane Physics Bldg., 2000 Colorado Ave., Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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University of Cologne · Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Affiliation as printed
I. Institute of Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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University of Lisbon · Universidade do Porto · European Southern Observatory · Instituto Superior Técnico · Centro de Astrofísica e Gravitação
Affiliation as printed
CENTRA – Centro de Astrofísica e Gravitação, IST, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
European Southern Observatory, Casilla 19001, Santiago 19, Chile
Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics · University of California, Berkeley
Affiliation as printed
Departments of Physics and Astronomy, Le Conte Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Australian National University · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 5 Place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Bart Bok Rd, Canberra, ACT 2611, Australia
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Astrophysics & Atmospheric Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University, Kamigamo-motoyama, Kita-ku, Kyoto 603-8555, Japan
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · European Southern Observatory · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 5 Place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Côte d'Azur · Lagrange Laboratory · Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur
Affiliation as printed
Université Côte d’Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire Lagrange, Boulevard de l’Observatoire, 06304 Nice Cedex 4, France
Université Côte d'Azur, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Laboratoire Lagrange, Boulevard de l'Observatoire, 06304 Nice Cedex 4, France
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Affiliation as printed
School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 5 Place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble · Université Grenoble Alpes
Affiliation as printed
Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, 38000 Grenoble, France
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 5 Place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
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Affiliation as printed
Retired – c/o T.L. Turner, 205 South Prospect Street, Granville, OH 43023, USA
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble · Université Grenoble Alpes
Affiliation as printed
Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, 38000 Grenoble, France
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Affiliation as printed
European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
Affiliation as printed
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Sciences et Lettres · Observatoire de Paris · Sorbonne Université · Sorbonne Paris Cité · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique
Affiliation as printed
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 5 Place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Tel Aviv University · Flatiron Institute
Affiliation as printed
Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute, 162 5th Ave., New York, NY 10010, USA
School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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Affiliation as printed
I. Institute of Physics, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 77, 50937 Cologne, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
European Southern Observatory, Casilla 19001, Santiago 19, Chile
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Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
Affiliation as printed
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), Giessenbachstr.1, 85748 Garching, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, 85748 Garching, Germany
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