Callum Bloor
Research Mentor(s): Monica Valluri
Department or Program: Astronomy, LSA
Authors: Callum Bloor, Monica Valluri, Andrew Lapeer
Session: Session 2: 1:00pm-1:50pm
Poster: 7
Abstract
Most galaxies in the universe are believed to contain supermassive black holes (SMBH) at their centers. Accurate measurement of SMBH masses is crucial for understanding various astrophysical phenomena, including galaxy evolution and the dynamics of the early universe. The primary objective of this research project is to measure the masses of SMBH in galaxies via the self-consistent orbit-superposition (Schwarzschild) modeling technique (Schwarzschild 1979). We utilize the FORSTAND code (Vasiliev & Valluri 2020), an iterative, observationally-constrained Schwarzschild modeling routine, to recover SMBH mass from mock kinematic data generated from static, self-consistent N-body representations of galactic systems. The mock data mimics the spatial and spectral resolution of telescopic data, enabling us to interpret and model IFU kinematics. Our methodology involved making specific assumptions about the parameters of the mock galaxies, which introduced slight variations in the calculated black hole masses. Despite these variances, our findings contribute to the broader understanding of black hole formation and their role in shaping the cosmos. This research underscores the importance of refining modeling parameters to enhance the accuracy of black hole mass measurements, thereby advancing our knowledge of the universe’s early stages and the fundamental processes governing galactic development.
