Related papers: The Stellar-Dynamical Search for Supermassive Blac…
We review the motivation and search for supermassive black holes (BHs) in galaxies. Energetic nuclear activity provides indirect but compelling evidence for BH engines. Ground-based dynamical searches for central dark objects are reviewed…
We present a new relationship between central black hole (BH) mass and host galaxy stellar bulge mass extending to the lowest BH masses known in dwarf galaxies ($M_{\rm BH} \lesssim 10^{5} M_{\odot}$; $M_{\star} \sim 10^{9} M_{\odot}$). We…
Despite its proximity, the mass of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) in the spiral galaxy M81 (NGC~3031) has remained uncertain, with previous dynamical measurements being unreliable. We present the first robust stellar-dynamical…
We present an expanded sample of low-mass black holes (BHs) found in galactic nuclei. Using standard virial mass techniques to estimate BH masses, we select from the Fourth Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey all broad-line active…
After correcting spherical aberration in the Hubble Space Telescope in 1993, the central masses of galaxies can be measured with a resolution 5 to 10 times better than can be achieved at the best terrestrial sites. This improvement in…
Recent numerical simulations of globular clusters (GCs) have shown that stellar-mass black holes (BHs) play a fundamental role in driving cluster evolution and shaping their present-day structure. Rapidly mass-segregating to the center of…
The dynamical evidence for black holes (BHs) in galactic nuclei is reviewed, with emphasis on recent improvements in spatial resolution, methods for analyzing galaxy spectra and dynamical modeling. M31, M32 and M87 are discussed in some…
Establishing or ruling out, either through solid mass measurements or upper limits, the presence of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) at the centers of star clusters would profoundly impact our understanding of problems ranging from the…
Dynamical searches find central dark objects - candidate supermassive black holes (BHs) - in at least 34 galaxies. The demographics of these objects lead to the following conclusions: (1) BH mass correlates with the luminosity of the bulge…
We present Hubble Space Telescope imaging and spectroscopic observations of three Brightest Cluster Galaxies, Abell 1836-BCG, Abell 2052-BCG, and Abell 3565-BCG, obtained with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2, the Advanced Camera for…
We investigate the dynamics of stellar-mass black holes (BH) in star clusters focusing on the dynamical formation of BH-BH binaries, which are very important sources of gravitational waves (GW). We examine the properties of these BH-BH…
We model the dynamical structure of M87 (NGC4486) using high spatial resolution long-slit observations of stellar light in the central regions, two-dimensional stellar light kinematics out to half of the effective radius, and globular…
We study the relations between the mass of the central black hole (BH) $M_{\rm BH}$, the dark matter halo mass $M_{\rm h}$, and the stellar-to-halo mass fraction $f_\star\propto M_\star/M_{\rm h}$ in a sample of $55$ nearby galaxies with…
The study of stellar-remnant black holes (BH) in dense stellar clusters is now in the spotlight, especially due to their intrinsic ability to form binary black holes (BBH) through dynamical encounters, that potentially coalesce via…
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…
Scaling relations between central black hole (BH) mass and host galaxy properties are of fundamental importance to studies of BH and galaxy evolution throughout cosmic time. Here we investigate the relationship between BH mass and host…
Shallow cores in bright, massive galaxies are commonly thought to be the result of scouring of stars by mergers of binary supermassive black holes. Past investigations have suggested correlations between the central black hole mass and the…
We construct dynamical models for a sample of 36 nearby galaxies with Hubble Space Telescope photometry and ground-based kinematics. The models assume that each galaxy is axisymmetric, with a two-integral distribution function, arbitrary…
Gas-dynamical studies using the Hubble Space Telescope are an integral component for future progress in the search for massive black holes in galactic nuclei. Here we present an extensive set of gas rotation curves obtained with the Space…
We present the first robust dynamical measurement of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass in the massive early-type galaxy NGC 4061 using high-spatial-resolution ALMA observations of the $^{12}$CO(2-1) emission. By combining archival…