THE BLACK HOLE MASS FUNCTION DERIVED FROM LOCAL SPIRAL GALAXIES

We present our determination of the nuclear supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass function for spiral galaxies in the local universe, established from a volume-limited sample consisting of a statistically complete collection of the brightest spiral galaxies in the southern ([delta] < 0]degrees]) hemisphere. The sample is defined by a limiting luminosity (redshift-independent) distance, D sub(L) = 25.4 Mpc (z = 0.00572) and a limiting absolute B-band magnitude, M sub(B) = -19.12. We then use an established relationship between the logarithmic spiral arm pitch angle and the mass of the central SMBH in a host galaxy in order to estimate the mass of the 128 respective SMBHs in this volume-limited sample. This result effectively gives us the distribution of mass for SMBHs residing in spiral galaxies over a lookback time, t sub(L) [< or =, slant] 82.1 h super(-1) sub(67.77) Myr and contained within a comoving volume, V sub(C) = 3.37 x 10 super(4) h super(-3) sub(67.77) M sub([middot in circle]) Mpc super(-3).