Assigned ID: 68 ----- Attempting Submission 1 (Tue Feb 23 20:04:07 GMT 2010) ----- The scaling relations between black hole (BH) mass and bulge properties serve as powerful tools to study the interplay between BH growth and galaxy formation. The BH mass-bulge luminosity relation for galaxies hosting AGNs holds special promise because it can be more easily traced out to earlier epochs when both BH growth and star formation were more active. Recent studies suggest that at higher redshifts BH growth outpaced bulge assembly, but this potentially very important result critically depends on our knowledge of the local scaling relations, which are still poorly known. In an archival study approved for Cycle 15, we characterized, for the first time, the intrinsic scatter of the BH mass-bulge luminosity relation and its dependence on AGN properties for a sample of 45 local quasars containing the most massive BHs hosted by early-type galaxies. Our analysis employs a sophisticated new technique to decompose the two-dimensional structure of the host galaxies with unprecedented accuracy. Here we propose to extend our program to a large, comprehensive sample of 223 lower mass, lower luminosity AGNs at z < 0.35, most of which are hosted by disk galaxies. We will derive accurate photometric parameters for the bulge, taking into account, when necessary complex components such as bars, spiral arms, and nonaxisymmetric structures. We will use these measurements to reevaluate the slope, zero point, and scatter of the BH mass-bulge luminosity relation, and their possible dependence on AGN and host galaxy properties. Combined with our previous analysis, our study covers the largest possible dynamic range in BH mass, AGN luminosity, and host galaxy morphological type. It will serve as a fundamental reference point for all future investigations of the cosmic evolution of the BH-host scaling relations.

AGN/QUASARS 12 97500 false 0.0 0.0 false false false false false false SUPPORTED