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arXiv · 2109.02936

The role of mergers and gas accretion in black hole growth and galaxy evolution

TianChi Zhang·Qi Guo·Yan Qu·Liang Gao
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Abstract

We use a semi-analytic galaxy formation model to study the co-evolution of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) with their host galaxies. Although the coalescence of SMBHs is not important, the quasar-mode accretion induced by mergers plays a dominant role in the growth of SMBHs. Mergers play a more important role in the growth of SMBH host galaxies than in the SMBH growth. It is the combined contribution from quasar mode accretion and mergers to the SMBH growth and the combined contribution from starburst and mergers to their host galaxy growth that determine the observed scaling relation between the SMBH masses and their host galaxy masses. We also find that mergers are more important in the growth of SMBH host galaxies compared to normal galaxies which share the same stellar mass range as the SMBH host galaxies.

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TianChi Zhang, Qi Guo, Yan Qu, Liang Gao. 2021-09-07. The role of mergers and gas accretion in black hole growth and galaxy evolution. https://doi.org/10.1088/1674-4527/21/8/212

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