Physical processes establishing the SMBH–galaxy mass correlations

Determine how and through what specific physical processes the tight correlations between supermassive black hole mass (MBH) and host-galaxy properties—particularly stellar velocity dispersion and stellar mass—are formed, in order to explain the origin of the MBH–galaxy scaling relations observed in the local Universe.

Background

Observations in the local Universe show tight correlations between supermassive black hole mass and host-galaxy properties, including stellar velocity dispersion and stellar mass. Multiple mechanisms have been proposed to explain these relations, such as AGN feedback, common gas supply fueling both star formation and accretion, and statistical averaging through mergers.

Despite extensive observational and theoretical work, the specific physical pathways that give rise to these tight relations remain unsettled. Establishing the mechanisms would clarify the coevolutionary history of galaxies and their central black holes.