Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T18:36:59.106Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Supermassive black holes in spiral galaxies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 November 2004

Duccio Macchetto
Duccio Macchetto
Affiliation:
ESA and Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA email: macchetto@stsci.edu
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

We have embarked in an HST program to determine the masses of black holes in spiral galaxies directly by measuring the line emission arising from an extended accretion disk. For each of the galaxies in our sample we have measured the rotation curve and determined the mass distribution within the inner 5–50 pc. We have modeled the stellar mass component using the photometric data from existing HST images and using both data sets we have derived the masses of the black holes in each galaxy. These results will be very important in clarifying the role of the black hole in powering the AGN, will shed light into the effectiveness of the accretion mechanisms and finally will be important in addressing the fundamental issue of unification for Seyfert 1 and Seyfert 2 galaxies.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html

Type
INVITED LECTURES
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 2004 , Issue IAUS222 , March 2004 , pp. 9 - 14
Copyright
© 2004 International Astronomical Union