On The Linearity of The Black Hole - Bulge Mass Relation in Active and in Nearby Galaxies

Abstract

Analysis of PG quasar observations suggests a nonlinear relation between the black hole mass, M_BH, and the bulge mass, M_bulge, although a linear relation, as proposed for nearby galaxies, cannot be ruled out. New M_BH values for nearby galaxies from Gebhardt et al., and L_bulge measurements for Seyfert 1 galaxies from Virani et al., are used here to obtain a more accurate value for the slope of the M_BH-M_bulge relation. The combined sample of 40 active and non-active galaxies suggests a significantly nonlinear relation, M_BH\propto M_bulge^{1.53\pm 0.14}. Further support for a nonlinear relation is provided by the slope of the M_BH-stellar velocity dispersion relation found recently, and by the low M_BH found in late type spiral galaxies. The mean M_BH/M_bulge ratio is therefore not a universal constant, but rather drops from ~0.5% in bright (M_V ~ -22) ellipticals, to ~0.05% in low luminosity (M_V ~ -18) bulges. Hubble Space Telescope determinations of M_BH in late type spirals, and of the bulge magnitude in narrow line Seyfert 1 galaxies (both predicted to have low M_BH), can further test the validity of the nonlinear M_BH-M_bulge relation.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 9 pages inc. 2 figure