Supermassive black hole mass measurement in the spiral galaxy NGC 4736 using JWST/NIRSpec stellar kinematics

We present accurate mass measurements of the central supermassive black hole (SMBH) in NGC 4736 (M 94). We used the “gold-standard” stellar absorption features (CO band heads) at ∼2.3 μm, as opposed to gas emission lines, to trace the dynamics in the nuclear region, easily resolving the SMBH’s sphere of influence. The analysis uses observations made with the integral field unit of the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) on the James Webb Space Telescope and a surface brightness profile derived from Hubble Space Telescope archival images. We used Jeans anisotropic models within a Bayesian framework, and comprehensive Markov chain Monte Carlo optimization, to determine the best-fit black hole mass, orbital anisotropy, mass-to-light ratio, and nucleus kinematical inclination. We obtained a SMBH mass M BH = (1.60 ± 0.16)×10 7 M ⊙ (1 σ random error), which is consistent with the M BH – σ and M BH – M ⋆ relations. This is the first dynamical measurement of a M BH in NGC 4736 based on the stellar kinematics observed with NIRSpec. We thus settle a longstanding inconsistency between estimates based on nuclear emission-line tracers and the M BH – σ relation. Our analysis shows that NIRSpec can detect SMBHs with M BH, min ≈ 5 × 10 6 M ⊙ in galaxies within 5 Mpc and σ ≈ 100 km s −1 .

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Publication Details

Journal
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Published
2025-05-15
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202554672
Citations
6
Primary Topic
Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
6.93

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article

Supermassive black hole mass measurement in the spiral galaxy NGC 4736 using JWST/NIRSpec stellar kinematics

Ngân Lê, Roberto Soria, Igor Chilingarian, Thiem Hoang et al.
6 citations
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
6.93
article

Supermassive black hole mass measurement in the spiral galaxy NGC 4736 using JWST/NIRSpec stellar kinematics

Ngân Lê, Roberto Soria, Igor Chilingarian, Thiem Hoang, Diep Ngoc Pham, Nguyen Bich Ngoc, Alister W. Graham, Dieu D. Nguyen, M. Pereira-Santaella, Nguyễn Thị Phương, Mark Durré, Le Ngoc Tram, Niranjan Thatte, Hai N. Ngo, Tinh Q. T. Le
article en
6 citations

Abstract

We present accurate mass measurements of the central supermassive black hole (SMBH) in NGC 4736 (M 94). We used the “gold-standard” stellar absorption features (CO band heads) at ∼2.3 μm, as opposed to gas emission lines, to trace the dynamics in the nuclear region, easily resolving the SMBH’s sphere of influence. The analysis uses observations made with the integral field unit of the Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) on the James Webb Space Telescope and a surface brightness profile derived from Hubble Space Telescope archival images. We used Jeans anisotropic models within a Bayesian framework, and comprehensive Markov chain Monte Carlo optimization, to determine the best-fit black hole mass, orbital anisotropy, mass-to-light ratio, and nucleus kinematical inclination. We obtained a SMBH mass M BH = (1.60 ± 0.16)×10 7 M ⊙ (1 σ random error), which is consistent with the M BH – σ and M BH – M ⋆ relations. This is the first dynamical measurement of a M BH in NGC 4736 based on the stellar kinematics observed with NIRSpec. We thus settle a longstanding inconsistency between estimates based on nuclear emission-line tracers and the M BH – σ relation. Our analysis shows that NIRSpec can detect SMBHs with M BH, min ≈ 5 × 10 6 M ⊙ in galaxies within 5 Mpc and σ ≈ 100 km s −1 .

Astronomy and AstrophysicsVol. 698
Leiden University (NL), Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VN), The University of Sydney (AU), Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VN), Lomonosov Moscow State University (RU), Hanoi University of Civil Engineering (VN), Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KR), University of Oxford (GB), Instituto de Física Fundamental (ES), Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino (IT), Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian (US), International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (VN), Astronomical Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SK), Astronomy and Space (AU), Swinburne University of Technology (AU), Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VN)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, UK Research and Innovation, Tập đoàn Vingroup - Công ty CP, European Commission, Quỹ Đổi mới sáng tạo Vingroup, Agencia Estatal de Investigación
Openalex Percentile: Top 3%
Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
6.93
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