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arXiv · 1004.0137

A correlation between central supermassive black holes and the globular cluster systems of early-type galaxies

Andreas Burkert·Scott Tremaine
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Abstract

Elliptical, lenticular, and early-type spiral galaxies show a remarkably tight power-law correlation between the mass M_BH of their central supermassive black hole (SMBH) and the number N_GC of globular clusters: M_BH=m*N_GC^(1.08+/-0.04) with m=1.7*10^5 solar masses. Thus, to a good approximation the SMBH mass is the same as the total mass of the globular clusters. Based on a limited sample of 13 galaxies, this relation appears to be a better predictor of SMBH mass (rms scatter 0.2 dex) than the M_BH-sigma relation between SMBH mass and velocity dispersion sigma. The small scatter reflects the fact that galaxies with high globular cluster specific frequency S_N tend to harbor SMBHs that are more massive than expected from the M_BH-sigma relation.

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Andreas Burkert, Scott Tremaine. 2010-04-01. A correlation between central supermassive black holes and the globular cluster systems of early-type galaxies. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/720/1/516

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