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| Paper: |
Central Stellar Mass Deficits in the Bulges of Local Lenticular Galaxies |
| Volume: |
480, Structure and Dynamics of Disk Galaxies |
| Page: |
75 |
| Authors: |
Dullo, B. T. |
| Abstract: |
The centers of giant galaxies display stellar mass deficits (Mdef) which are thought to be a signature left by inspiraling supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries that are formed in post-merger galaxies. We quantify these deficits for a sample of five luminous lenticular galaxies with bulge magnitude MV ≲ –21 mag and find Mdef ≈ 0.5 – 2MBH (black hole mass). Contrary to the traditionally proposed lenticular galaxy formation mechanisms such as ram-pressure stripping and galaxy harassment, the mass deficits in these galaxies suggest a two stage inside-out process for their assembly. That is, their bulges may have formed through “dry” major-merger events involving SMBHs while their disk was subsequently built up via cold gas accretion scenarios. Interestingly, these bulges have sizes and mass densities comparable to the compact massive galaxies found at z ∼ 2. |
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