2017/08/25 by W. Ishibashi, A. C. Fabian · 7 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Active galactic nucleus #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Black hole (networking) #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Dark galaxy #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Galaxy formation and evolution #Galaxy merger #Intergalactic travel #Physics #Redshift #Supermassive black hole #astro-ph.GA #astro-ph.HE
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/mnras/stx2212
published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 472(3), 2768-2772 (Oxford University Press) · accepted for publication in MNRAS
openalex publication_date 2017/08/25 · arxiv created 2017/09/05 · arxiv updated 2017/10/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Recent observations confirm the existence of ultramassive black holes (UMBHs) in the nuclei of compact galaxies, with physical properties similar to NGC 1277. The nature of these objects poses a new puzzle to the ‘black hole–host galaxy co-evolution’ scenario. We discuss the potential link between UMBHs and galaxy compactness, possibly connected via extreme active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback at early times (z > 2). In our picture, the AGN feedback is driven by radiation pressure on dust. We suggest that early UMBH feedback blows away all the gas beyond an ∼kpc or so, while triggering star formation at inner radii, eventually leaving a compact galaxy remnant. Such extreme UMBH feedback can also affect the surrounding environment on larger scales, e.g. the outflowing stars may form a diffuse stellar halo around the compact galaxy, or even escape into the intergalactic or intracluster medium. On the other hand, less massive black holes will drive less powerful feedback, such that the stars formed within the AGN feedback-driven outflow remain bound to the host galaxy, and contribute to its size growth over cosmic time.