Exploring mass measurements of supermassive black holes in AGN using GAMA photometry and spectroscopy.

In the era of massive photometric surveys, we explore several approaches to estimate the masses of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) from optical ground-based imaging, in each case comparing to the independent SMBH mass measurement obtained from spectroscopic data. We select a case-study sample of 28 type 1 AGN hosted by nearby galaxies from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey. We perform multicomponent spectral decomposition, extract the AGN component, and calculate the SMBH mass from the broad H |$\alpha$| emission line width and luminosity. The photometric g and i band data is decomposed into AGN+spheroid(+disc)(+bar) components with careful surface brightness fitting. From these, the SMBH mass is estimated using its relation with the spheroid Sérsic index or effective radius (both used for the first time on ground-based optical imaging of AGN); and the more widely used scaling relations based on bulge or galaxy stellar mass. We find no correlation between the H |$\alpha$| -derived SMBH masses and those based on the spheroid Sérsic index or effective radius, despite these being the most direct methods involving only one scaling relation. The bulge or galaxy stellar mass based methods both yield significant correlations, although with considerable scatter and, in the latter case, a systematic offset. We provide possible explanations for this and discuss the requirements, advantages, and drawbacks of each method. These considerations will be useful to optimize strategies for upcoming high quality ground-based and space-borne sky surveys to estimate SMBH masses in large numbers of AGN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)