Detail for Program: GN-2014B-DD-6

Abstract

We have obtained strong evidence for an extremely massive black hole in the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 1600. Our recent analysis of IFU data from McDonald Observatory favors a black hole mass ~ 2-3 x 10^10 Msun. If confirmed, this would be the most massive black hole known. We request DDT on Gemini North for a timely high-resolution follow-up observation to confirm this breakthrough result. Our McDonald data are limited by the 4-arcsec fiber diameter, minimally resolving the black hole's sphere of influence. We therefore urgently need GMOS IFU spectra at sub-arcsecond resolution for a more robust MBH measurement.

Publications using this program's data

[data] [ADS] A 17-billion-solar-mass black hole in a group galaxy with a diffuse core

[data] [ADS] The MASSIVE Survey XIII -- Spatially Resolved Stellar Kinematics in the Central 1 kpc of 20 Massive Elliptical Galaxies with the GMOS-North Integral-Field Spectrograph

[data] [ADS] The MASSIVE Survey XIV—Stellar Velocity Profiles and Kinematic Misalignments from 200 pc to 20 kpc in Massive Early-type Galaxies

[data] [ADS] Triaxial Orbit-based Dynamical Modeling of Galaxies with Supermassive Black Holes and an Application to Massive Elliptical Galaxy NGC 1453

Title:	The Most Massive Black Hole within 100 Mpc
PI:	Chung-Pei Ma
Co-I(s):	Jens Thomas, John Blakeslee, Nicholas McConnell, Jenny Greene, Ryan Janish