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1. Mapping AGN winds: A connection between radio-mode AGNs and the AGN feedback cycle

   https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202451738  

   Albán, M; Wylezalek, D; Comerford, J M; Greene, J E; Riffel, R A (November 2024, Astronomy & Astrophysics)

   We present a kinematic analysis based on the large integral field spectroscopy (IFS) dataset of SDSS-IV MaNGA (Sloan Digital Sky Survey/Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory; ∼10 000 galaxies). We have compiled a diverse sample of 594 unique active galactic nuclei (AGNs), identified through a variety of independent selection techniques, encompassing radio (1.4 GHz) observations, optical emission-line diagnostics (BPT), broad Balmer emission lines, mid-infrared colors, and hard X-ray emission. We investigated how ionized gas kinematics behave in these different AGN populations through stacked radial profiles of the [O III] 5007 emission-line width across each AGN population. We contrasted AGN populations against each other (and non-AGN galaxies) by matching samples by stellar mass, [O III] 5007 luminosity, morphology, and redshift. We find similar kinematics between AGNs selected by BPT diagnostics compared to broad-line-selected AGNs. We also identify a population of non-AGNs with similar radial profiles as AGNs, indicative of the presence of remnant outflows (or fossil outflows) of past AGN activity. We find that purely radio-selected AGNs display enhanced ionized gas line widths across all radii. This suggests that our radio-selection technique is sensitive to a population in which AGN-driven kinematic perturbations have been active for longer durations (potentially due to recurrent activity) than in purely optically selected AGNs. This connection between radio activity and extended ionized gas outflow signatures is consistent with recent evidence that suggests radio emission (expected to be diffuse) originated due to shocks from outflows. We conclude that different selection techniques can trace different AGN populations not only in terms of energetics but also in terms of AGN evolutionary stages. Our results are important in the context of the AGN duty cycle and highlight integral field unit data’s potential to deepen our knowledge of AGNs and galaxy evolution. 

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2. LLAMA: The M _BH – σ _⋆ relation of the most luminous local AGNs

   https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201936321  

   Caglar, Turgay; Burtscher, Leonard; Brandl, Bernhard; Brinchmann, Jarle; Davies, Richard I.; Hicks, Erin K.; Koss, Michael; Lin, Ming-Yi; Maciejewski, Witold; Müller-Sánchez, Francisco; et al (February 2020, Astronomy & Astrophysics)

   Context. The M BH – σ ⋆ relation is considered a result of coevolution between the host galaxies and their supermassive black holes. For elliptical bulge hosting inactive galaxies, this relation is well established, but there is still discussion concerning whether active galaxies follow the same relation. Aims. In this paper, we estimate black hole masses for a sample of 19 local luminous active galactic nuclei (AGNs; LLAMA) to test their location on the M BH – σ ⋆ relation. In addition, we test how robustly we can determine the stellar velocity dispersion in the presence of an AGN continuum and AGN emission lines, and as a function of signal-to-noise ratio. Methods. Supermassive black hole masses ( M BH ) were derived from the broad-line-based relations for H α , H β , and Pa β emission line profiles for Type 1 AGNs. We compared the bulge stellar velocity dispersion ( σ ⋆ ) as determined from the Ca II triplet (CaT) with the dispersion measured from the near-infrared CO (2-0) absorption features for each AGN and find them to be consistent with each other. We applied an extinction correction to the observed broad-line fluxes and we corrected the stellar velocity dispersion by an average rotation contribution as determined from spatially resolved stellar kinematic maps. Results. The H α -based black hole masses of our sample of AGNs were estimated in the range 6.34 ≤ log M BH  ≤ 7.75 M ⊙ and the σ ⋆CaT estimates range between 73 ≤  σ ⋆CaT  ≤ 227 km s −1 . From the so-constructed M BH  −  σ ⋆ relation for our Type 1 AGNs, we estimate the black hole masses for the Type 2 AGNs and the inactive galaxies in our sample. Conclusions. We find that our sample of local luminous AGNs is consistent with the M BH – σ ⋆ relation of lower luminosity AGNs and inactive galaxies, after correcting for dust extinction and the rotational contribution to the stellar velocity dispersion. 

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3. Tracking the Assembly of Supermassive Black Holes: A Comparison of Diverse Models across Cosmic Time

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae2fb1  

   Porras-Valverde, Antonio J; Ricarte, Angelo; Natarajan, Priyamvada; Somerville, Rachel S; Gabrielpillai, Austen; Yung, L_Y Aaron (February 2026, The Astrophysical Journal)

   Abstract Galaxies grow alongside central supermassive black holes (SMBHs) through fueling and feedback. However, the origins of this coevolution remain unclear and vary across modeling frameworks. Using semianalytic models (SAMs), we trace SMBH mass assembly acrossM_BH ∼ 10⁶⁻¹⁰M_⊙. We find significant discrepancies between observations and physics-based models of the local black hole mass function (BHMF), likely from differences in the stellar mass function and scaling relations used to infer the BHMF. Most physics-based models agree atz ∼ 1–4 and broadly match the JWST broad-line active galactic nucleus (AGN) BHMFs atz = 4–5. These models also reproduce the observed bolometric AGN luminosity evolution, except the SAMDark Sage, which predicts an excess. Interestingly, this pronounced “knee” in the bolometric AGN luminosity function predicted byDark SagearoundL_bol ∼ 10⁴⁶erg s⁻¹is consistent with the inferred abundance and luminosity of “little red dots” atz = 5–6, under the assumption that they are powered entirely by AGN activity. In contrast to other models,Dark Sagedeploys multiple growth channels for SMBHs that include mergers, hot-mode accretion, merger-driven cold-accretion, and secular-instability-driven accretion. We analyze the black hole mass buildup and accretion histories inDark Sage, which, unlike other models, also allows for super-Eddington accretion, and we find that, on average, SMBHs primarily grow through secular disk instabilities and merger-driven cold gas accretion modes. We also find that black hole mergers contribute the majority of the growth of ∼60% of the total mass budget only for the most massive SMBHs byz= 0. 

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4. The Host Galaxies of Active Galactic Nuclei with Direct Black Hole Mass Measurements*

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae41ad  

   Bennert, Vardha N; Winkel, Nico; Treu, Tommaso; Ding, Xuheng; U, Vivian; Remigio, Raymond P; Barth, Aaron J; Malkan, Matthew A; Villafaña, Lizvette; Allen, Samantha; et al (March 2026, The Astrophysical Journal)

   Abstract Reverberation mapping (RM) determines the mass of black holes (BHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) by resolving the BH gravitational sphere of influence in the time domain. Recent RM campaigns have yielded direct BH masses through dynamical modeling for a sample of 32 objects, spanning a wide range of AGN luminosities and BH masses. In addition, accurate BH masses have been determined by spatially resolving the broad-line region with GRAVITY for a handful of AGNs. Here, we present a detailed analysis of Hubble Space Telescope images using surface-brightness profile fitting with state-of-the-art programs. We derive AGN luminosity and host-galaxy properties, such as radii and luminosities for the spheroid, disk, and bar (if present). The spheroid effective radii are used to measure stellar velocity dispersion from integral-field spectroscopy. Since the BH masses of our sample do not depend on any assumption of the virial factor needed in single-epoch spectroscopic mass estimates, we can show that the resulting scaling relations between the mass of the supermassive BHs and their host galaxies match those of quiescent galaxies, naturally extending to lower masses in these (predominantly) spiral galaxies. We find that the inner AGN orientation, as traced by the broad-line region inclination angle, is uncorrelated with the host-galaxy disk. Our sample has the most direct and accurateM_BH measurements of any AGN sample and provides a fundamental local benchmark for studies of the evolution of massive BHs and their host galaxies across cosmic time. 

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5. Magellan Spectroscopy of Active Galactic Nuclei in Low-mass Galaxies: Scaling Relations and a Triple-peaked Active Galactic Nucleus

   https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aded92  

   Sturm, Megan R; Reines, Amy E; Greene, Jenny; Salehirad, Sheyda (August 2025, The Astrophysical Journal)

   Abstract In this work, we aim to further populate the low-mass regime of black hole (BH) scaling relations to better understand the formation and growth mechanisms of central supermassive BHs. We target six galaxies that have been previously identified as hosting active galactic nuclei (AGNs) based on optical spectroscopy from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly survey or the Sloan Digital Sky Survey with stellar masses reported to beM_⋆ < 5 × 10⁹M_⊙. Using follow-up optical spectroscopy from the Magellan Echellette Spectrograph, we extract galaxy velocity dispersions (σ_⋆) and estimate virial BH masses from broad Hαemission. We find that the galaxies in our sample do not deviate significantly from either theM_BH−σ_*orM_BH−M_*scaling relations defined by higher-mass galaxies. Additionally, we identify one galaxy with triple-peaked [SII], [NII], Hα, and Hβemission lines. This spectral shape is not shared by [OIII] and, in fact, the [OIII] line appears to have distinct kinematics from the other emission lines. Incorporating the spatial distribution of the various emission lines, we find that the galaxy spectrum is consistent with a prominent central AGN driving an outflow, surrounded by an extended ring/disk of gas predominantly ionized by shocks and/or star formation. This work has implications for the demographics of BHs in low-mass galaxies and the role of AGN feedback. 

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