On Black Hole Masses and Radio Loudness in AGN

Abstract

The distribution of radio to optical fluxes in AGN is bimodal. The physical origin for this bimodality is not understood. In this Letter I describe observational evidence, based on the Boroson & Green PG quasar sample, that the radio loudness bimodality is strongly related to the black hole mass (M_BH). Nearly all PG quasars with M_BH>10^9M_sun are radio loud, while quasars with M_BH<3x10^8M_sun are practically all radio quiet. This result is consistent with the dependence of quasar host galaxy morphology on radio loudness. There is no simple physical explanation for this result, but it may provide a clue on how jets are formed near massive black holes. The radio loudness--black hole mass relationship suggests that the properties of various types of AGN may be largely set by three basic parameters, M_BH, L/L_Eddington, and inclination angle.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters, 9 pages inc. 3 figure