2018/06/30 by Jillian Bellovary, Colleen Cleary, Ferah Munshi +4 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics #Dwarf galaxy #Dwarf galaxy problem #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Gravitational wave #Interacting galaxy #Observable #Physics #Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology #astro-ph.GA #astro-ph.HE
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/mnras/sty2842
replaced with accepted version
arxiv created 2018/10/19 · openalex publication_date 2018/10/19 · arxiv updated 2018/10/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
Recent discoveries of massive black holes (MBHs) in dwarf galaxies suggest that they may have a more common presence than once thought. Systematic searches are revealing more candidates, but this process could be accelerated by predictions from simulations. We perform a study of several high-resolution, cosmological, zoom-in simulations focusing on dwarf galaxies that host massive black holes at |z| = 0, with the aim of determining when the black holes are most observable. Larger dwarf galaxies are more likely to host MBHs than those of lower mass. About 50 per cent of the MBHs in dwarfs are not centrally located, but rather are wandering within a few kpc of the galaxy centre. The accretion luminosities of MBHs in dwarfs are low throughout cosmic time, rendering them extremely difficult to detect. However, the merger history of these MBHs is optimal for gravitational wave detection by LISA.