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| Paper: |
A Search for Offset Black Holes in LINERs |
| Volume: |
290, Active Galactic Nuclei: from Central Engine to Host Galaxy |
| Page: |
393 |
| Authors: |
Dressel, L. |
| Abstract: |
According to current theories of black hole formation and galaxy evolution, black holes and the AGN that they ignite do not necessarily lie at the center of the stellar distribution of their host galaxies. For example, galaxy mergers may result in binary black holes which move through the nucleus as they proceed toward coalescence. With the spatial resolution of WFPC2 and STIS on HST, it has become possible to search nearby galaxies on the scale of a few parsecs for offsets between the luminosity peak of the AGN, the luminosity peak of the stars, the kinematic center associated with the black hole, and the kinematic center of the stellar distribution. I will discuss the results of such a study of nearby bright LINER galaxies, and the instrumental effects which limit the ability to make such measurements. |
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