Intermediate-Mass Black Hole Feedback in Dwarf Galaxies: a View from Cosmological Simulations

• Published in: arXiv.org
• Main Authors: Barai, Paramita, Elisabete M de Gouveia Dal Pino
• Format: Paper Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ithaca Cornell University Library, arXiv.org 15.11.2018
• Subjects: Computer simulation; Cosmology; Deposition; Dwarf galaxies; Feedback; Halos; Outflow; Physics - Astrophysics of Galaxies; Physics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics; Physics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena; Post-processing; Silk; Simulation; Star formation; Universe
• ISSN: 2331-8422
• DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.1811.06576

Black holes are usually observed to be of stellar-mass or supermassive. By natural extension, there should be a population of Intermediate-Mass Black Holes (IMBHs: with mass between \(100\) to \(10^6 M_{\odot}\)) in the Universe; which has started to been observed. An exciting claim has been made recently by Silk (2017): that early feedback by IMBHs in gas-rich dwarf galaxies at \(z=5-8\), can potentially solve multiple dwarf galaxy problems within the \(\Lambda\)-cold-dark-matter cosmology. We are performing Cosmological Hydrodynamical Simulations of \((2 Mpc)^3\) volumes, starting from \(z=100\), to test the case for IMBHs in Dwarf Galaxies. Black holes of mass \(1000 M_{\odot}\) are seeded inside halos when they reach a mass of \(10^7 M_{\odot}\). The black holes grow by accretion of gas from their surroundings and by merger with other black holes, and consequently eject feedback energy. We analyze the simulation output in post-processing to study the growth of the first IMBHs, and their impact on star-formation. Our conclusions, based on numerical simulation results, support the phenomenological ideas made by Silk (2017). IMBHs at the centers of dwarf galaxies can be a strong source of feedback to quench star-formation and generate outflows. At the same time, these IMBHs form the missing link between stellar-mass and supermassive BHs.