Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Context. Via scaling relations, it is well known that active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and bulges are linked. This link was thought to be driven by mergers, but recent studies show that secular processes are the dominant mechanism of supermassive black hole growth. One such secular mechanism is gas inflow driven by large-scale bars. Since bulges can also grow via these bars, these three features likely share some common process. Aims. We investigated whether the observed correlation between AGNs and bars is real or arises as a result of correlations between bars and bulges. Methods. Using a catalogue of AGN identifications and galaxy morphologies in the DESI Legacy Survey at z ≤ 0.1, we controlled for mass and colour and investigated the AGN fraction variation with bulge prominence and bar strength. Results. We first show that the variation in the AGN fraction between strongly barred, weakly barred, and unbarred galaxies does not qualitatively change if we additionally control for bulge prominence. Second, we find that in fixed bins of bulge prominence, the AGN fraction increases with increasing bar strength. In subsamples split by bar strength, the AGN fraction increases with bulge prominence, indicating that AGN presence correlates with bar strength and bulge prominence simultaneously.
Source: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,865
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, University of Pennsylvania, Ohio State University, California Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, University of Portsmouth, Royal Astronomical Society, University College London, University of Sussex, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Grantová Agentura České Republiky, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Toronto, Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Office of Science, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Division of Astronomical Sciences, High Energy Physics, Integrated Electronics Engineering Center, Binghamton University, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermilab, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Awards: G1039895795, G1313983767, G1800429324, G1813527838, G272672434, G318871581, G3204085874, G387521742, G498139845, Stars in galactic nuclei: interrelation with massive black holes, G6876926712, Management and Operations of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, G7406122311, G823181903, G8292014801, G969889393, G988696487
OpenAlex ID: W7147439867