The Growth of Supermassive Black Holes and QSO Formation

Abstract

A novel mechanism to build up a supermassive black hole (SMBH) is proposed. Here, relativistic radiation-hydrodynamic processes are considered from a galactic scale to a horizon scale. In the present scenario, the mass of a SMBH is predicted to be in proportion to the bulge mass, and it turns out that the SMBH-to-bulge mass ratio is basically determined by the nuclear energy conversion efficiency from hydrogen to helium, $ε=0.007$. The BH hierarchy is also addressed in relation to the BH formation in globular clusters. Futhermore, a new picture for QSO formation is proposed based on the present SMBH formation scenario. It is predicted that a host luminosity-dominant ``proto-QSO phase'' exists before the QSO phase, and the proto-QSO phase is preceded by an optically-thick ultraluminous infrared galaxy (ULIRG) phase.

10 pages, 3 figures