New Method Reveals Hidden Black Hole in Low-Mass Galaxy

Recent research has revealed evidence of a hidden black hole in a low-mass galaxy, identified as MaNGA 9885-9102. This finding is significant as it introduces a new method for detecting active black holes in low-mass galaxies, which have traditionally been challenging to study. The galaxy was selected from the MaNGA survey and exhibits distinctive bipolar Hα blobs along its minor axis. These bipolar features are associated with active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity, although the classification of the two blobs as H II regions on the BPT diagram complicates their origins.

The study indicates that the two blobs lack ultraviolet (UV) counterparts, suggesting that the source of ionization is external to the blobs themselves. Detailed photoionization models favor an AGN origin over a star-forming one, with a significance level of 5.8σ. Furthermore, the estimated mass of the black hole is approximately 7.2 × 10^5 solar masses, derived from the established relationship between black hole mass and stellar velocity dispersion.

This research not only enhances our understanding of black hole activity in low-mass galaxies but also introduces a novel detection method that could be applied in environments where traditional techniques fail. The implications of this work extend to the study of intermediate-mass black holes and their role in galaxy evolution.

The findings are detailed in the paper titled "Bipolar blobs as evidence of hidden AGN activities in the low-mass galaxies," authored by Yao Yao and colleagues, which can be accessed here.