arXiv subjects

Marta Volonteri

Publications and source records attributed to Marta Volonteri.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Shining in the Dark: the Spectral Evolution of the First Black Holes

Massive Black Hole (MBH) seeds at redshift $z \gtrsim 10$ are now thought to be key ingredients to explain the presence of the super-massive ($10^{9-10} \, \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$) black holes in place $ < 1 \, \mathrm{Gyr}$ after the Big Bang. Once formed, massive seeds grow and emit copious amounts of radiation by accreting the left-over halo gas; their spectrum can then provide crucial information on their evolution. By combining radiation-hydrodynamic and spectral synthesis codes, we simulate the time-evolving spectrum emerging from the host halo of a MBH seed with initial mass $10^5 \, \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$, assuming both standard Eddington-limited accretion, or slim accretion disks, appropriate for super-Eddington flows. The emission occurs predominantly in the observed infrared-submm ($1-1000 \, \mathrm{μm}$) and X-ray ($0.1 - 100 \, \mathrm{keV}$) bands. Such signal should be easily detectable by JWST around $\sim 1 \, \mathrm{μm}$ up to $z \sim 25$, and by ATHENA (between $0.1$ and $10 \, \mathrm{keV}$, up to $z \sim 15$). Ultra-deep X-ray surveys like the Chandra Deep Field South could have already detected these systems up to $z \sim 15$. Based on this, we provide an upper limit for the $z \gtrsim 6$ MBH mass density of $ρ_{\bullet} \lesssim 2.5 \times 10^{2} \, \mathrm{M_{\odot} \, Mpc^{-3}}$ assuming standard Eddington-limited accretion. If accretion occurs in the slim disk mode the limits are much weaker, $ρ_{\bullet} \lesssim 7.6 \times 10^{3} \, \mathrm{M_{\odot} \, Mpc^{-3}}$ in the most constraining case.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

A comparison of black hole growth in galaxy mergers with Gasoline and Ramses

Supermassive black hole dynamics during galaxy mergers is crucial in determining the rate of black hole mergers and cosmic black hole growth. As simulations achieve higher resolution, it becomes important to assess whether the black hole dynamics is influenced by the treatment of the interstellar medium in different simulation codes. We here compare simulations of black hole growth in galaxy mergers with two codes: the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics code Gasoline, and the Adaptive Mesh Refinement code Ramses. We seek to identify predictions of these models that are robust despite differences in hydrodynamic methods and implementations of sub-grid physics. We find that the general behavior is consistent between codes. Black hole accretion is minimal while the galaxies are well-separated (and even as they "fly-by" within 10 kpc at first pericenter). At late stages, when the galaxies pass within a few kpc, tidal torques drive nuclear gas inflow that triggers bursts of black hole accretion accompanied by star formation. We also note quantitative discrepancies that are model-dependent: our Ramses simulations show less star formation and black hole growth, and a smoother gas distribution with larger clumps and filaments, than our Gasoline simulations. We attribute these differences primarily to the sub-grid models for black hole fueling and feedback and gas thermodynamics. The main conclusion is that differences exist quantitatively between codes, and this should be kept in mind when making comparisons with observations. However, reassuringly, both codes capture the same dynamical behaviors in terms of triggering of black hole accretion, star formation, and black hole dynamics.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

How an improved implementation of H2 self-shielding influences the formation of massive stars and black holes

High redshift quasars at z>6 have masses up to ~$10^9$ M$_\odot$. One of the pathways to their formation includes direct collapse of gas, forming a supermassive star, precursor of the black hole seed. The conditions for direct collapse are more easily achievable in metal-free haloes, where atomic hydrogen cooling operates and molecular hydrogen (H2) formation is inhibited by a strong external UV flux. Above a certain value of UV flux (J_crit), the gas in a halo collapses isothermally at ~$10^4$ K and provides the conditions for supermassive star formation. However, H2 can self-shield, reducing the effect of photodissociation. So far, most numerical studies used the local Jeans length to calculate the column densities for self-shielding. We implement an improved method for the determination of column densities in 3D simulations and analyse its effect on the value of J_crit. This new method captures the gas geometry and velocity field and enables us to properly determine the direction-dependent self-shielding factor of H2 against photodissociating radiation. We find a value of J_crit that is a factor of two smaller than with the Jeans approach (~2000 J_21 vs. ~4000 J_21). The main reason for this difference is the strong directional dependence of the H2 column density. With this lower value of J_crit, the number of haloes exposed to a flux >J_crit is larger by more than an order of magnitude compared to previous studies. This may translate into a similar enhancement in the predicted number density of black hole seeds.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

Black hole evolution: I. Supernova-regulated black hole growth

The growth of a supermassive black hole (BH) is determined by how much gas the host galaxy is able to feed it, which in turn is controlled by the cosmic environment, through galaxy mergers and accretion of cosmic flows that time how galaxies obtain their gas, but also by internal processes in the galaxy, such as star formation and feedback from stars and the BH itself. In this paper, we study the growth of a 10^12 Msun halo at z=2, which is the progenitor of al group of galaxies at z=0, and of its central BH by means of a high-resolution zoomed cosmological simulation, the Seth simulation. We study the evolution of the BH driven by the accretion of cold gas in the galaxy, and explore the efficiency of the feedback from supernovae (SNe). For a relatively inefficient energy input from SNe, the BH grows at the Eddington rate from early times, and reaches self-regulation once it is massive enough. We find that at early cosmic times z>3.5, efficient feedback from SNe forbids the formation of a settled disc as well as the accumulation of dense cold gas in the vicinity of the BH and starves the central compact object. As the galaxy and its halo accumulate mass, they become able to confine the nuclear inflows provided by major mergers and the BH grows at a sustained near-to-Eddington accretion rate. We argue that this mechanism should be ubiquitous amongst low-mass galaxies, corresponding to galaxies with a stellar mass below <10^9 Msun in our simulations.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

The Growth Efficiency of High-Redshift Black Holes

The observational evidence that Super-Massive Black Holes ($M_{\bullet} \sim 10^{9-10} \, \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$) are already in place less than $1 \, \mathrm{Gyr}$ after the Big Bang poses stringent time constraints on the growth efficiency of their seeds. Among proposed possibilities, the formation of massive ($\sim 10^{3-6} \, \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$) seeds and/or the occurrence of super-Eddington ($\dot{M}>\dot{M}_{Edd}$) accretion episodes may contribute to the solution of this problem. In this work we analytically and numerically investigate the accretion flow onto high-redshift ($z \sim 10$) black holes to understand the physical requirements favoring rapid and efficient growth. Our model identifies a "feeding-dominated" accretion regime and a "feedback-limited" one, the latter being characterized by intermittent (duty cycles ${\cal D} \lesssim 0.5$) and inefficient growth, with recurring outflow episodes. We find that low-mass seeds ($\lesssim 10^{3-4} \, \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$) evolve in the feedback-limited regime, while more massive seeds ($\gtrsim 10^{5-6} \, \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$) grow very rapidly as they are found in the feeding-dominated regime. In addition to the standard accretion model with a fixed matter-energy conversion factor ($ε= 0.1$), we have also explored slim disk models, appropriate for super-Eddington accretion, where radiation is trapped in the disk and the radiative efficiency is reduced ($ε\lesssim 0.04$), which may ensure a continuous growth with $\dot{M} \gg \dot{M}_{Edd}$ (up to $\sim 300\dot{M}_{Edd}$ in our simulations). Under these conditions, outflows play a negligible role and a black hole can accrete $80\%-100\%$ of the gas mass of the host halo ($\sim 10^7 \, \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$) in $\sim 10 \, \mathrm{Myr}$, while in feedback-limited systems we predict that black holes can accrete only up to $\sim 15\%$ of the available mass.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

Off the Beaten Path: A New Approach to Realistically Model The Orbital Decay of Supermassive Black Holes in Galaxy Formation Simulations

We introduce a force correction term to better model the dynamical friction (DF) experienced by a supermassive black hole (SMBH) as it orbits within its host galaxy. This new approach accurately follows the orbital decay of a SMBH and drastically improves over commonly used advection methods. The force correction introduced here naturally scales with the force resolution of the simulation and converges as resolution is increased. In controlled experiments we show how the orbital decay of the SMBH closely follows analytical predictions when particle masses are significantly smaller than that of the SMBH. In a cosmological simulation of the assembly of a small galaxy, we show how our method allows for realistic black hole orbits. This approach overcomes the limitations of the advection scheme, where black holes are rapidly and artificially pushed toward the halo center and then forced to merge, regardless of their orbits. We find that SMBHs from merging dwarf galaxies can spend significant time away from the center of the remnant galaxy. Improving the modeling of SMBH orbital decay will help in making robust predictions of the growth, detectability, and merger rates of SMBHs, especially at low galaxy masses or at high redshift.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

Black hole accretion versus star formation rate: theory confronts observations

We use a suite of hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy mergers to compare star formation rate (SFR) and black hole accretion rate (BHAR) for galaxies before the interaction ('stochastic' phase), during the `merger' proper, lasting ~0.2-0.3 Gyr, and in the `remnant' phase. We calculate the bi-variate distribution of SFR and BHAR and define the regions in the SFR-BHAR plane that the three phases occupy. No strong correlation between BHAR and galaxy-wide SFR is found. A possible exception are galaxies with the highest SFR and the highest BHAR. We also bin the data in the same way used in several observational studies, by either measuring the mean SFR for AGN in different luminosity bins, or the mean BHAR for galaxies in bins of SFR. We find that the apparent contradiction or SFR versus BHAR for observed samples of AGN and star forming galaxies is actually caused by binning effects. The two types of samples use different projections of the full bi-variate distribution, and the full information would lead to unambiguous interpretation. We also find that a galaxy can be classified as AGN-dominated up to 1.5 Gyr after the merger-driven starburst took place. Our study is consistent with the suggestion that most low-luminosity AGN hosts do not show morphological disturbances.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

The case for super-critical accretion onto massive black holes at high redshift

Short-lived intermittent phases of super-critical (super-Eddington) growth, coupled with star formation via positive feedback, may account for early growth of massive black holes (MBH) and coevolution with their host spheroids. We estimate the possible growth rates and duty cycles of these episodes, both assuming slim accretion disk solutions, and adopting the results of recent numerical simulations. The angular momentum of gas joining the accretion disk determines the length of the accretion episodes, and the final mass a MBH can reach. The latter can be related to the gas velocity dispersion, and in galaxies with low-angular momentum gas the MBH can get to a higher mass. When the host galaxy is able to sustain inflow rates at 1-100 msunyr, replenishing and circulation lead to a sequence of short (~1e4-1e7 years), heavily obscured accretion episodes that increase the growth rates, with respect to an Eddington-limited case, by several orders of magnitude. Our model predicts that the ratio of MBH accretion rate to star formation rate is 1e2 or higher, leading, at early epochs, to a ratio of MBH to stellar mass higher than the "canonical" value of ~1e-3, in agreement with current observations. Our model makes specific predictions that long-lived super-critical accretion occurs only in galaxies with copious low-angular momentum gas, and in this case the MBH is more massive at fixed velocity dispersion.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2015

Growing black holes and galaxies: black hole accretion versus star formation rate

We present a new suite of hydrodynamical simulations and use it to study, in detail, black hole and galaxy properties. The high time, spatial and mass resolution, and realistic orbits and mass ratios, down to 1:6 and 1:10, enable us to meaningfully compare star formation rate (SFR) and BH accretion rate (BHAR) timescales, temporal behaviour and relative magnitude. We find that (i) BHAR and galaxy-wide SFR are typically temporally uncorrelated, and have different variability timescales, except during the merger proper, lasting ~0.2-0.3 Gyr. BHAR and nuclear (<100 pc) SFR are better correlated, and their variability are similar. Averaging over time, the merger phase leads typically to an increase by a factor of a few in the BHAR/SFR ratio. (ii) BHAR and nuclear SFR are intrinsically proportional, but the correlation lessens if the long-term SFR is measured. (iii) Galaxies in the remnant phase are the ones most likely to be selected as systems dominated by an active galactic nucleus (AGN), because of the long time spent in this phase. (iv) The timescale over which a given diagnostic probes the SFR has a profound impact on the recovered correlations with BHAR, and on the interpretation of observational data.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Growth and activity of black holes in galaxy mergers with varying mass ratios

We study supermassive black holes (BHs) in merging galaxies, using a suite of hydrodynamical simulations with very high spatial (~10 pc) and temporal (~1 Myr) resolution, where we vary the initial mass ratio, the orbital configuration, and the gas fraction. (i) We address the question of when and why, during a merger, increased BH accretion occurs, quantifying gas inflows and BH accretion rates. (ii) We also quantify the relative effectiveness in inducing AGN activity of merger-related versus secular-related causes, by studying different stages of the encounter: the stochastic (or early) stage, the (proper) merger stage, and the remnant (or late) stage. (iii) We assess which galaxy mergers preferentially enhance BH accretion, finding that the initial mass ratio is the most important factor. (iv) We study the evolution of the BH masses, finding that the BH mass contrast tends to decrease in minor mergers and to increase in major mergers. This effect hints at the existence of a preferential range of mass ratios for BHs in the final pairing stages. (v) In both merging and dynamically quiescent galaxies, the gas accreted by the BH is not necessarily the gas with $low$ angular momentum, but the gas that $loses$ angular momentum.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

No WIMP Mini-Spikes in Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies

The formation of black holes inevitably affects the distribution of dark and baryonic matter in their vicinity, leading to an enhancement of the dark matter density, called spike, and if dark matter is made of WIMPs, to a strong enhancement of the dark matter annihilation rate. Spikes at the center of galaxies like the Milky Way are efficiently disrupted by baryonic processes, but mini-spikes can form and survive undisturbed at the center of dwarf spheroidal galaxies. We show that Fermi LAT satellite data allow to set very stringent limits on the existence of mini-spikes in dwarf galaxies: for thermal WIMPs with mass between 100 GeV and 1 TeV, we obtain a maximum black hole mass between 100 and 1000 $M_\odot$, ruling out black holes masses extrapolated from the M-σ relationship in a large region of the parameter space. We also performed Monte Carlo simulations of merger histories of black holes in dwarf spheroidals in a scenario where black holes form from the direct collapse of primordial gas in early halos, and found that this specific formation scenario is incompatible at the 84% CL with dark matter being in the form of thermal WIMPs.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2014

New insights on the recoiling/binary black hole candidate J0927+2943 via molecular gas observations

The peculiar QSO J0927+2943 shows multiple sets of emission lines in its optical spectrum. This signature has been interpreted as the relative motion between a black hole, either recoiling or bound in a binary system, and its host galaxy, or as a superposition of two galaxies along the line of sight. In order to test these scenarios, we have collected 2mm CO(2-1) observations using the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer, and optical images and spectroscopy at the Calar Alto observatory. Together with archival HST images, these data provide unique insights on the nature of this system. The recoiling/binary black hole scenarios are ruled out by the clear detection of a galactic-scale molecular gas reservoir at the same redshift of the QSO broad lines. The observations presented here also disfavour the superposition model, although with less constraints. Thus, the origin of the second, bright set of narrow emission lines in J0927+2943 is still unknown.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Dancing in the dark: galactic properties trace spin swings along the cosmic web

A large-scale hydrodynamical cosmological simulation, Horizon-AGN, is used to investigate the alignment between the spin of galaxies and the cosmic filaments above redshift 1.2. The analysis of more than 150 000 galaxies per time step in the redshift range 1.2<z<1.8 with morphological diversity shows that the spin of low-mass blue galaxies is preferentially aligned with their neighbouring filaments, while high-mass red galaxies tend to have a perpendicular spin. The reorientation of the spin of massive galaxies is provided by galaxy mergers, which are significant in their mass build-up. We find that the stellar mass transition from alignment to misalignment happens around 3.10^10 M_sun. Galaxies form in the vorticity-rich neighbourhood of filaments, and migrate towards the nodes of the cosmic web as they convert their orbital angular momentum into spin. The signature of this process can be traced to the properties of galaxies, as measured relative to the cosmic web. We argue that a strong source of feedback such as active galactic nuclei is mandatory to quench in situ star formation in massive galaxies and promote various morphologies. It allows mergers to play their key role by reducing post-merger gas inflows and, therefore, keeping spins misaligned with cosmic filaments.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2014

Constraining the high redshift formation of black hole seeds in nuclear star clusters with gas inflows

In this paper we explore a possible route of black hole seed formation that appeal to a model by Davies, Miller & Bellovary who considered the case of the dynamical collapse of a dense cluster of stellar black holes subjected to an inflow of gas. Here, we explore this case in a broad cosmological context. The working hypotheses are that (i) nuclear star clusters form at high redshifts in pre-galactic discs hosted in dark matter halos, providing a suitable environment for the formation of stellar black holes in their cores, (ii) major central inflows of gas occur onto these clusters due to instabilities seeded in the growing discs and/or to mergers with other gas-rich halos, and that (iii) following the inflow, stellar black holes in the core avoid ejection due to the steepening to the potential well, leading to core collapse and the formation of a massive seed of $<~ 1000\, \rm M_\odot$. We simulate a cosmological box tracing the build up of the dark matter halos and there embedded baryons, and explore cluster evolution with a semi-analytical model. We show that this route is feasible, peaks at redshifts $z <~ 10$ and occurs in concomitance with the formation of seeds from other channels. The channel is competitive relative to others, and is independent of the metal content of the parent cluster. This mechanism of gas driven core collapse requires inflows with masses at least ten times larger than the mass of the parent star cluster, occurring on timescales shorter than the evaporation/ejection time of the stellar black holes from the core. In this respect, the results provide upper limit to the frequency of this process.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Black hole evolution: II. Spinning black holes in a supernova-driven turbulent interstellar medium

Supermassive black holes (BH) accrete gas from their surroundings and coalesce with companions during galaxy mergers, and both processes change the BH mass and spin. By means of high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of galaxies, either idealised or embedded within the cosmic web, we explore the effects of interstellar gas dynamics and external perturbations on BH spin evolution. All these physical quantities were evolved on-the-fly in a self-consistent manner. We use a `maximal' model to describe the turbulence induced by stellar feedback to highlight its impact on the angular momentum of the gas accreted by the BH. Periods of intense star formation are followed by phases where stellar feedback drives large-scale outflows and hot bubbles. We find that BH accretion is synchronised with star formation, as only when gas is cold and dense do both processes take place. During such periods, gas motion is dominated by consistent rotation. On the other hand, when stellar feedback becomes substantial, turbulent motion randomises gas angular momentum. However BH accretion is strongly suppressed in that case, as cold and dense gas is lacking. In our cosmological simulation, at very early times (z>6), the galactic disc has not yet settled and no preferred direction exists for the angular momentum of the accreted gas, so the BH spin remains low. As the gas settles into a disc (6>z>3), the BH spin then rapidly reaches its maximal value. At lower redshifts (z<3), even when galaxy mergers flip the direction of the angular momentum of the accreted gas, causing it to counter-rotate, the BH spin magnitude only decreases modestly and temporarily. Should this be a typical evolution scenario for BH, it potentially has dramatic consequences regarding their origin and assembly, as accretion on maximally spinning BH embedded in thin Shakura-Sunyaev disc is significantly reduced.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2014

Black hole evolution: III. Statistical properties of mass growth and spin evolution using large-scale hydrodynamical cosmological simulations

Supermassive black holes (BH) at the centres of galaxies can rapidly change their mass and spin by gas accretion and mergers. Using hydrodynamical cosmological simulations, with prescriptions for BH growth and feedback from Active Galactic Nuclei, we study how the evolution of BH mass growth is driven by gas accretion and mergers. Using a semi-analytical approach to evolve spins, we also highlight the mechanisms responsible for driving the magnitude and the direction of spins as a function of cosmic time. We find that in the high-redshift universe galaxies maintain large values of gas accretion onto BHs, which therefore is the main driver of their mass and spin evolution. Sustained accretion of cold gas at high-redshift tends to align BH spins with the angular momentum of the surrounding gas and maximise their magnitude. Conversely, at low redshift, as BHs get more massive and galaxies more gas-poor, the contribution from binary coalescences to the total BH mass growth increases, especially at the high-mass end, and tends to decrease the magnitude of spins and change their direction.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2014

Nuclear coups: dynamics of black holes in galaxy mergers

We study the dynamical evolution of supermassive black holes (BHs) in merging galaxies on scales of hundreds of kpc to 10 pc, to identify the physical processes that aid or hinder the orbital decay of BHs. We present hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy mergers with a resolution of $\leq$20 pc, chosen to accurately track the motion of the nuclei and provide a realistic environment for the evolution of the BHs. We find that, during the late stages of the merger, tidal shocks inject energy in the nuclei, causing one or both nuclei to be disrupted and leaving their BH `naked', without any bound gas or stars. In many cases, the nucleus that is ultimately disrupted is that of the larger galaxy (`nuclear coup'), as star formation grows a denser nuclear cusp in the smaller galaxy. We supplement our simulations with an analytical estimate of the orbital-decay time required for the BHs to form a binary at unresolved scales, due to dynamical friction. We find that, when a nuclear coup occurs, the time-scale is much shorter than when the secondary's nucleus is disrupted, as the infalling BH is more massive, and it also finds itself in a denser stellar environment.

astro-ph.CO↗

arXiv2013

The Relative Role of Galaxy Mergers and Cosmic Flows in Feeding Black Holes

Using a set of zoomed-in cosmological simulations of high-redshift progenitors of massive galaxies, we isolate and trace the history of gas that is accreted by central supermassive black holes. We determine the origins of the accreted gas, in terms of whether it entered the galaxy during a merger event or was smoothly accreted. Furthermore, we designate whether the smoothly accreted gas is accreted via a cold flow or is shocked upon entry into the halo. For moderate-mass (10^6 - 10^7 Msun) black holes at z ~ 4, there is a preference to accrete cold flow gas than gas of shocked or merger origin. However, this result is a consequence of the fact that the entire galaxy has a higher fraction of gas from cold flows. In general, each black hole tends to accrete the same fractions of smooth- and merger-accreted gas as is contained in its host galaxy, suggesting that once gas enters a halo it becomes well-mixed, and its origins are erased. We find that the angular momentum of the gas upon halo entry is a more important factor; black holes preferentially accrete gas that had low angular momentum when it entered the galaxy, regardless of whether it was accreted smoothly or through mergers.

astro-ph.CO↗