Slow and fat: low-spin SMBHs are more massive

Abstract: Active galactic nuclei (AGN) probably control the growth of their host galaxies via feedback in the form of wide-angle wind-driven outflows. These establish the observed correlations between supermassive black hole (SMBH) masses and host galaxy properties, e.g. the spheroid velocity dispersion $\sigma$. In this paper we consider the growth of the SMBH once it starts driving a large-scale outflow through the galaxy. To clear the gas and ultimately terminate further growth of both the SMBH and the host galaxy, the black hole must continue to grow its mass significantly, by up to a factor of a few, after reaching this point. The mass increment $\Delta M_{\rm BH}$ depends sensitively on both galaxy size and SMBH spin. The galaxy size dependence leads to $\Delta M_{\rm BH} \propto \sigma^5$ and a steepening of the $M-\sigma$ relation beyond the analytically calculated $M \propto \sigma^4$, in agreement with observation. Slowly--spinning black holes are much less efficient in producing feedback, so at any given $\sigma$ the slowest--spinning black holes should be the most massive. Current observational constraints are consistent with this picture, but insufficient to test it properly; however, this should change with upcoming surveys.