Simple Fit of Data Relating Supermassive Black Hole Mass to Galaxy Pitch Angle

Seigar et al. have recently demonstrated a new, tight correlation between galactic central supermassive black hole (BH) mass and the pitch angle of the spiral arm in disk galaxies which they attribute to other indirect correlations. They fit a double power law, governed by five parameters, to the BH...

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Veröffentlicht in:The Astronomical journal 2009-06, Vol.137 (6), p.4716-4717, Article 4716
Hauptverfasser: Ringermacher, Harry I, Mead, Lawrence R
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Seigar et al. have recently demonstrated a new, tight correlation between galactic central supermassive black hole (BH) mass and the pitch angle of the spiral arm in disk galaxies which they attribute to other indirect correlations. They fit a double power law, governed by five parameters, to the BH mass as a function of pitch. Noting the features of their fitted curve, we show that a simple linear proportion of the BH mass to the cotangent of the pitch angle can obtain the same fit, within error. Such a direct, elegant fit may help shed light on the nature of the correlation.
ISSN:1538-3881
0004-6256
1538-3881
DOI:10.1088/0004-6256/137/6/4716