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We present a method for fitting orbit-superposition models to the kinematics of discrete stellar systems when the available stellar sample has been filtered by a known selection function. The fitting method can be applied to any model in…
Most stellar-dynamical determinations of the masses of nearby supermassive black holes (SMBHs) have been obtained with the orbit superposition technique under the assumption of axisymmetry. However, few galaxies -- in particular massive…
We describe an improved, practical method for constructing galaxy models that match an arbitrary set of observational constraints, without prior assumptions about the phase-space distribution function (DF). Our method is an extension of…
We investigate the accuracy and precision of triaxial dynamical orbit models by fitting two dimensional mock observations of a realistic N-body merger simulation resembling a massive early-type galaxy with a supermassive black hole (SMBH).…
We show that orbit-superposition dynamical models (Schwarzschild's method) provide reliable estimates of nuclear black hole masses and errors when constructed from adequate orbit libraries and kinematic data. We thus rebut two recent papers…
We present a detailed analysis of the behavior of the triaxial Schwarzschild orbit superposition method near the axisymmetric limit. Orbit superposition modeling is the primary method used to determine dynamical masses of supermassive black…
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…
We present a new method that simultaneously solves for cosmology and galaxy bias on non-linear scales. The method uses the halo model to analytically describe the (non-linear) matter distribution, and the conditional luminosity function…
Understanding how galaxies trace the underlying matter density field is essential for characterizing the influence of the large-scale structure on galaxy formation, being therefore a key ingredient in observational cosmology. This…
Gravitational lensing shear has the potential to be the most powerful tool for constraining the nature of dark energy. However, accurate measurement of galaxy shear is crucial and has been shown to be non-trivial by the Shear TEsting…
We present axisymmetric, orbit superposition models for 12 galaxies using data taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and ground-based observatories. In each galaxy, we detect a central black hole (BH) and measure its mass to…
Model fitting is frequently used to determine the shape of galaxies and the point spread function, for examples, in weak lensing analyses or morphology studies aiming at probing the evolution of galaxies. However, the number of parameters…
This article describes the Schwarzschild orbit superposition method. It is the state-of-the-art dynamical modelling tool for early-type galaxies. Tests with analytic models show that masses and orbital anisotropies of not too face-on…
We present a new stellar dynamical mass measurement ($M_\mathrm{BH}$) of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) in NGC 1453, a fast-rotating massive elliptical galaxy in the MASSIVE survey. We measure stellar kinematics in 135 spatial bins in…
Evidence for the majority of the supermassive black holes in the local universe has been obtained dynamically from stellar motions with the Schwarzschild orbit superposition method. However, there have been only a handful of studies using…
A theory is derived relating the configuration of the cores of active galaxies, specifically candidates for presumed super-massive black hole binaries (SMBHBs), to time-dependent changes in images of those galaxies. Three deflection…
We present axisymmetric dynamical models of the edge-on S0 galaxy NGC 4342. A combination of observations from the ground and with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has shown that NGC 4342 rotates rapidly and has a strong central increase in…
We present a maximum-likelihood analysis of galaxy-galaxy lensing effects in galaxy clusters and in the field. The aim is to determine the accuracy and robustness of constraints that can be obtained on galaxy halo properties in both…
Modeling the mass distribution of galaxy-scale strong gravitational lenses is a task of increasing difficulty. The high-resolution and depth of imaging data now available render simple analytical forms ineffective at capturing lens…
Empirical methods for connecting galaxies to their dark matter halos have become essential for interpreting measurements of the spatial statistics of galaxies. In this work, we present a novel approach for parameterizing the degree of…