7 Aug 1997 | John Magorrian, Scott Tremaine, Douglas Richstone, Ralf Bender, Gary Bower, Alan Dressler, S. M. Faber, Karl Gebhardt, Richard Green, Carl Grillmair, John Kormendy, Tod R. Lauer
The paper constructs dynamical models for 36 nearby galaxies using Hubble Space Telescope photometry and ground-based kinematics. The models assume axisymmetry, a two-integral distribution function, arbitrary inclination angle, a position-independent stellar mass-to-light ratio, and a central massive dark object (MDO) of arbitrary mass. The models provide acceptable fits to 32 of the galaxies for some value of the MDO mass and the stellar mass-to-light ratio. The mass-to-light ratios inferred for these galaxies are consistent with the fundamental plane correlation. In all but six galaxies, the models require an MDO mass of approximately 0.006 times the bulge mass. The paper also examines various parameterizations for the probability distribution of MDO masses and finds that a fraction of about 0.97 of galaxies have MDOs, with a Gaussian distribution in the log of the MDO-to-bulge mass ratio. The results suggest that the MDO mass distribution is strongly correlated with the bulge mass, supporting the hypothesis that MDOs are black holes.The paper constructs dynamical models for 36 nearby galaxies using Hubble Space Telescope photometry and ground-based kinematics. The models assume axisymmetry, a two-integral distribution function, arbitrary inclination angle, a position-independent stellar mass-to-light ratio, and a central massive dark object (MDO) of arbitrary mass. The models provide acceptable fits to 32 of the galaxies for some value of the MDO mass and the stellar mass-to-light ratio. The mass-to-light ratios inferred for these galaxies are consistent with the fundamental plane correlation. In all but six galaxies, the models require an MDO mass of approximately 0.006 times the bulge mass. The paper also examines various parameterizations for the probability distribution of MDO masses and finds that a fraction of about 0.97 of galaxies have MDOs, with a Gaussian distribution in the log of the MDO-to-bulge mass ratio. The results suggest that the MDO mass distribution is strongly correlated with the bulge mass, supporting the hypothesis that MDOs are black holes.