The MASSIVE Survey. XVII. A Triaxial Orbit-based Determination of the Black Hole Mass and Intrinsic Shape of Elliptical Galaxy NGC 2693

  • Jacob D. Pilawa
  • , Christopher M. Liepold
  • , Silvana C. Delgado Andrade
  • , Jonelle L. Walsh
  • , Chung Pei Ma
  • , Matthew E. Quenneville
  • , Jenny E. Greene
  • , John P. Blakeslee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present a stellar dynamical mass measurement of a newly detected supermassive black hole (SMBH) at the center of the fast-rotating, massive elliptical galaxy NGC 2693 as part of the MASSIVE survey. We combine high signal-to-noise ratio integral field spectroscopy (IFS) from the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph with wide-field data from the Mitchell Spectrograph at McDonald Observatory to extract and model stellar kinematics of NGC 2693 from the central ∼150 pc out to ∼2.5 effective radii. Observations from Hubble Space Telescope WFC3 are used to determine the stellar light distribution. We perform fully triaxial Schwarzschild orbit modeling using the latest TriOS code and a Bayesian search in 6D galaxy model parameter space to determine NGC 2693's SMBH mass (M BH), stellar mass-to-light ratio, dark matter content, and intrinsic shape. We find MBH=1.7±0.4×109M⊙ and a triaxial intrinsic shape with axis ratios p = b/a = 0.902 ± 0.009 and q=c/a=0.721-0.010+0.011, triaxiality parameter T = 0.39 ± 0.04. In comparison, the best-fit orbit model in the axisymmetric limit and (cylindrical) Jeans anisotropic model of NGC 2693 prefer MBH=2.4±0.6×109M⊙ and MBH=2.9±0.3×109M⊙, respectively. Neither model can account for the non-axisymmetric stellar velocity features present in the IFS data.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number178
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume928
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2022

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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