2024/08/01 by Dieu D. Nguyen, Michele Cappellari, Nguyen, Dieu D. +18 · 4 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Adaptive optics and wavefront sensing #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA) #FOS: Physical sciences #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2408.00239
openalex publication_date 2024/08/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Understanding the demographics of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs, M\rm BH ≈ 102-105 M_\odot) in low-mass galaxies is key to constraining black hole seed formation models, but detecting them is challenging due to their small gravitational sphere of influence (SOI). The upcoming ELT/HARMONI instrument, with its high angular resolution, offers a promising solution. We present simulations assessing HARMONI's ability to measure IMBH masses in nuclear star clusters (NSCs) of nearby dwarf galaxies. We selected a sample of 44 candidates within 10 Mpc. For two representative targets, NGC 300 and NGC 3115 dw01, we generated mock HARMONI integral-field data cubes using realistic inputs derived from \hst imaging, stellar population models, and Jeans Anisotropic Models (JAM), assuming IMBH masses up to 1% of the NSC mass. We simulated observations across six NIR gratings at 10 mas resolution. Analyzing the mock data with standard kinematic extraction (pPXF) and JAM models in a Bayesian framework, we demonstrate that HARMONI can resolve the IMBH SOI and accurately recover masses down to ≈ 0.5% of the NSC mass within feasible exposure times. These results highlight HARMONI's potential to revolutionize IMBH studies.