1994/09/07 by Steinn Sigurdsson, Lars Hernquist, Gerald D. Quinlan · 3 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Scientific Research and Discoveries #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/175769
17 pages (incl. 11 figure) uuencoded postscript, Lick Preprint Series No. 35
arxiv created 1994/09/07 · openalex publication_date 1995/06/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We present a method for simulating numerically the effect of the adiabatic growth of black holes on the structure of elliptical galaxies. Using a parallel self-consistent field code, we add black holes to N-body realizations of model distribution functions for spherical galaxies, using a continuous mass spectrum. The variable particle mass, combined with a simple multiple time-step integration scheme, makes it possible to evolve the models for many dynamical times with N ∼10<SUP>6</SUP> 1O<SUP>8</SUP>, allowing high spatial and mass resolution. This paper discusses verification of the code using analytic models for spherical galaxies, comparing our numerical results of the effect of central black holes on the structure of the galaxies with previously published model& The intrinsic and projected properties of the final particle distribution, including higher order moments of the velocity distribution, permit comparison with observed characteristics of real galaxies and constrain the masses of any central black holes present in those galaxies. Our technique is promising and is easily extended to axisymmetric and triaxial galaxies.