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We investigate how the properties of massive black hole binaries influence the observed properties of core galaxies. We compare the observed trend in stellar mass deficit as a function of total stellar mass in the core galaxy with predicted trends in IllustrisTNG. We calculate mass deficits in simulated galaxies by applying subgrid, post-processing physics based on the results of literature N -body experiments. We find that the median value of the posterior distribution for the minimum binary mass ratio capable of creating a core is 0.7. For the gas mass fraction above which a core is erased, we find a median value of 0.6. Thus, low mass ratio binaries do not contribute to core formation and gas-rich mergers must lead to star formation within the nucleus, ultimately erasing the core. Such constraints have important implications for the overall massive black hole binary population, black hole–galaxy co-evolution, and the origin of the gravitational wave background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the effect of supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass scaling relation choice on the inferred SMBH mass population since redshift z ∼ 3. To make robust predictions for the gravitational wave background (GWB), we must have a solid understanding of the underlying SMBH demographics. Using the SDSS and 3D-HST + CANDELS surveys for 0 < z < 3, we evaluate the inferred SMBH masses from two SMBH–galaxy scaling relations: M BH– M bulge and M BH–σ. Our SMBH mass functions come directly from stellar mass measurements for M BH– M bulge, and indirectly from stellar mass and galaxy radius measurements along with the galaxy mass fundamental plane for M BH–σ. We find that there is a substantial difference in predictions especially for z > 1, and this difference increases out to z  = 3. In particular, we find that using velocity dispersion predicts a greater number of SMBHs with masses greater than 109 M⊙. The GWB that pulsar timing arrays find evidence for is higher in amplitude than expected from GWB predictions which rely on high-redshift extrapolations of local SMBH mass–galaxy scaling relations. The difference in SMBH demographics resulting from different scaling relations may be the origin for the mismatch between the signal amplitude and predictions. Generally, our results suggest that a deeper understanding of the potential redshift evolution of these relations is needed if we are to draw significant insight from their predictions at z > 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) has proven to be a critical ingredient in the current picture of galaxy assembly and growth. However, observational constraints on AGN-driven outflows face technical challenges and as a result, the cold molecular gas outflow properties of type-1 AGN are not well known. We present new IRAM NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array observations of CO |$\, (1{-}0)$| in F07599+6508, Z11598 − 0112, F13342 + 3932, and PG1440 + 356, all nearby type-1 AGN and ultraluminous infrared galaxies. We achieve spatial resolution of 1–3 arcsec corresponding to physical scales of 2–8 kpc and spectral resolution of 15–60  km s−1, which enables updated CO |$\, (1{-}0)$| redshifts and a detailed morphological view of the cold molecular gas in these sources. The CO |$\, (1{-}0)$| luminosities, |$L_{CO}^{\prime }$|⁠ , are in the range 2–12 × 109 K km s−1 pc2 and inferred molecular gas masses, M (H2), are in the range 2–9 × 109 M⊙. The velocity fields and gas distributions do not unambiguously identify any of these sources as having outflows. However, Z11598 − 0112 has signs of infalling material and after the subtraction of a rotating disc model PG 1440 + 356 shows complex kinematics in the residuals that may indicate an outflow or warped disc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results from a multiwavelength analysis searching for multiple active galactic nucleus (AGN) systems in nearby (z < 0.077) triple galaxy mergers. Combining archival Chandra, Sloan Digital Data Survey (SDSS), Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), and Very Large Array observations, we quantify the rate of nearby triple AGNs, as well as investigate possible connections between supermassive black hole accretion and merger environments. Analyzing the multiwavelength observations of seven triple galaxy mergers, we find that one triple merger has a single AGN (NGC 3341); we discover, for the first time, four likely dual AGNs (SDSS J1027+1749, SDSS J1631+2352, SDSS J1708+2153, and SDSS J2356−1016); we confirm one triple-AGN system, SDSS J0849+1114; and one triple merger in our sample remains ambiguous (SDSS J0858+1822). Analyzing the WISE data, we find a trend of increasing NH (associated with the primary AGN) as a function of increasing W1 – W2 color, reflecting that the motions of gas and dust are coupled in merging environments, where large amounts of both can be funneled into the active central region during mergers. Additionally, we find that the one triple-AGN system in our sample has the highest levels of NH and W1 – W2 color, while the dual-AGN candidates all have lower levels; these results are consistent with theoretical merger simulations that suggest that higher levels of nuclear gas are more likely to activate AGNs in mergers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present results from our X-ray analysis of a systematic search for triple active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in nearby (z < 0.077) triple galaxy mergers. We analyze archival Chandra observations of seven triple galaxy mergers with baymax (Bayesian Analysis of Multiple AGNs in X-rays), fitting each observation with single, dual, and triple X-ray point-source models. In doing so, we conclude that one triple merger has one X-ray point source (SDSS J0858+1822, although it is unlikely to be an AGN), five triple mergers are likely composed of two X-ray point sources (NGC 3341, SDSS J1027+1749, SDSS J1631+2352, SDSS J1708+2153, and SDSS J2356−1016), and one system is composed of three X-ray point sources (SDSS J0849+1114). By fitting the individual X-ray spectra of each point source, we analyze the 2−7 keV luminosities, as well as the levels of obscuration associated with each potential AGN. We find that 4/5 dual X-ray point-source systems have primary and secondary point sources with bright X-ray luminosities (L2−7kev > 1040 erg s−1), possibly associated with four new undetected dual AGNs. The dual and triple-point-source systems are found to have physical separations between 3 and 9 kpc and flux ratios between 2 × 10−3 and 0.84. A multiwavelength analysis to determine the origin of the X-ray point sources discovered in this work is presented in our companion paper (Foord et al. 2020c). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use Chandra X-ray observations to look for evidence of a recoiling black hole from the brightest cluster galaxy in Abell 2261 (A2261-BCG). A2261-BCG is a strong candidate for a recoiling black hole because of its large, flat stellar core, revealed by Hubble Space Telescope imaging observations. We took 100 ks observations with Chandra and combined it with 35 ks of archival observations to look for low-level accretion onto a black hole of expected mass that could possibly be located in one of four off-center stellar knots near the galaxy's center or else in the optical center of the galaxy or in the location of radio emission. We found no X-ray emission arising from a point source in excess of the cluster gas and can place limits on the accretion of any black hole in the central region to a 2–7 keV flux below , corresponding to a bolometric Eddington fraction of about 10−6. Thus there is either no 1010 black hole in the core of A2261-BCG, or it is accreting at a low level. We also discuss the morphology of the X-ray emitting gas in the cluster and how its asymmetry is consistent with a large dynamic event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first results from Bayesian AnalYsis of Multiple AGN in X-rays (BAYMAX), a tool that uses a Bayesian framework to quantitatively evaluate whether a given Chandra observation is more likely a single or dual point source. Although the most robust method of determining the presence of dual active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is to use X-ray observations, only sources that are widely separated relative to the instrument's point-spread function are easy to identify. It becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish dual AGNs from single AGNs when the separation is on the order of Chandra's angular resolution (<1″). Using likelihood models for single and dual point sources, BAYMAX quantitatively evaluates the likelihood of an AGN for a given source. Specifically, we present results from BAYMAX analyzing the lowest-mass dual AGN candidate to date, SDSS J0914+0853, where archival Chandra data shows a possible secondary AGN ∼ 0.″3 from the primary. Analyzing a new 50 ks Chandra observation, results from BAYMAX shows that SDSS J0914+0853 is most likely a single AGN with a Bayes factor of 13.5 in favor of a single point source model. Further, posterior distributions from the dual point source model are consistent with emission from a single AGN. We find a very low probability of SDSS J0914+0853 being a dual AGN system with a flux ratio f > 0.3 and separation r > 0.″3. Overall, BAYMAX will be an important tool for correctly classifying candidate dual AGNs in the literature, as well as studying the dual AGN population where past spatial resolution limits have prevented systematic analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determine the mass of the nuclear black hole (M) in NGC 3706, an early-type galaxy with a central surface brightness minimum arising from an apparent stellar ring, which is misaligned with respect to the galaxy's major axis at larger radii. We fit new HST/STIS and archival data with axisymmetric orbit models to determine M, mass-to-light ratio (ϒV), and dark matter halo profile. The best-fit model parameters with 1σ uncertainties are and at an assumed distance of 46 Mpc. The models are inconsistent with no black hole at a significance of Δχ2 = 15.4 and require a dark matter halo to adequately fit the kinematic data, but the fits are consistent with a large range of plausible dark matter halo parameters. The ring is inconsistent with a population of co-rotating stars on circular orbits, which would produce a narrow line-of-sight velocity distribution (LOSVD). Instead, the ring's LOSVD has a small value of |V|/σ, the ratio of mean velocity to velocity dispersion. Based on the observed low |V|/σ, our orbit modeling, and a kinematic decomposition of the ring from the bulge, we conclude that the stellar ring contains stars that orbit in both directions. We consider potential origins for this unique feature, including multiple tidal disruptions of stellar clusters, a change in the gravitational potential from triaxial to axisymmetric, resonant capture and inclining of orbits by a binary black hole, and multiple mergers leading to gas being funneled to the center of the galaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Chandra observations of 12 galaxies that contain supermassive black holes (SMBHs) with dynamical mass measurements. Each galaxy was observed for 30 ks and resulted in a total of 68 point-source detections in the target galaxies including SMBH sources, ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs), and extragalactic X-ray binaries. Based on our fits of the X-ray spectra, we report fluxes, luminosities, Eddington ratios, and slope of the power-law spectrum. Normalized to the Eddington luminosity, the 2-10 keV band X-ray luminosities of the SMBH sources range from 10-8 to 10-6, and the power-law slopes are centered at ~2 with a slight trend toward steeper (softer) slopes at smaller Eddington fractions, implying a change in the physical processes responsible for their emission at low accretion rates. We find 20 ULX candidates, of which 6 are likely (>90% chance) to be true ULXs. The most promising ULX candidate has an isotropic luminosity in the 0.3-10 keV band of 1.0-0.3-0.6 x 1040 erg s-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph observations of the galaxy NGC 4382 (M85) and axisymmetric models of the galaxy to determine mass-to-light ratio (ϒV) and central black hole mass (MBH). We find ϒV = 3.74 ± 0.1 M⊙/L⊙ and MBH Due to image rights restrictions, multiple line equation(s) cannot be graphically displayed. x 107 M⊙ at an assumed distance of 17.9 Mpc, consistent with no black hole. The upper limit, MBH < 9.6 x 107 M⊙ (2σ) or MBH < 1.4 x 108(3σ), is consistent with the current M-σ relation, which predicts MBH = 8.8 x 107 M⊙ at σe = 182 km s-1, but low for the current M-L relation, which predicts MBH = 7.8 x 108 M⊙ at LV = 8.9 x 1010 L⊙.V. HST images show the nucleus to be double, suggesting the presence of a nuclear eccentric stellar disk, analogous to the Tremaine disk in M31. This conclusion is supported by the HST velocity dispersion profile. Despite the presence of this non-axisymmetric feature and evidence of a recent merger, we conclude that the reliability of our black hole mass determination is not hindered. The inferred low black hole mass may explain the lack of nuclear activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the possibility that the observed relation between black hole mass and host-galaxy stellar velocity dispersion (the M-σ relation) is biased by an observational selection effect, the difficulty of detecting a black hole whose sphere of influence is smaller than the telescope resolution. In particular, we critically investigate recent claims that the M-σ relation only represents the upper limit to a broad distribution of black hole masses in galaxies of a given velocity dispersion. We find that this hypothesis can be rejected at a high confidence level, at least for the early-type galaxies with relatively high velocity dispersions (median 268 km s-1) that comprise most of our sample. We also describe a general procedure for incorporating observational selection effects in estimates of the properties of the M-σ relation. Applying this procedure we find results that are consistent with earlier estimates that did not account for selection effects, although with larger error bars. In particular, (1) the width of the M-σ relation is not significantly increased, (2) the slope and normalization of the M-σ relation are not significantly changed, and (3) most or all luminous early-type galaxies contain central black holes at zero redshift. Our results may not apply to late-type or small galaxies, which are not well represented in our sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assess the influence of massive black hole (MBH) ejections from galaxy centres due to gravitational radiation recoil, along the cosmic merger history of the MBH population. We discuss the ‘danger’ of recoil for MBHs as a function of different MBH spin-orbit configurations and of the host halo cosmic bias, and on how that reflects on the occupation fraction of MBHs. We assess ejection probabilities for mergers occurring in a gas-poor environment, in which the MBH binary coalescence is driven by stellar dynamical processes and the spin-orbit configuration is expected to be isotropically distributed. We contrast this case with the ‘aligned’ case. The latter is the more realistic situation for gas-rich, i.e. ‘wet’, mergers, which are expected for high-redshift galaxies. We find that if all haloes at host an MBH, the probability of the Milky Way (or similar size galaxy) to host an MBH today is less than 50 per cent, unless MBHs form continuously in galaxies. The occupation fraction of MBHs, intimately related to halo bias and MBH formation efficiency, plays a crucial role in increasing the retention fraction. Small haloes, with shallow potential wells and low escape velocities, have a high ejection probability, but the MBH merger rate is very low along their galaxy formation merger hierarchy: MBH formation processes are likely inefficient in such shallow potential wells. Recoils can decrease the overall frequency of MBHs in small galaxies to ∼60 per cent, while they have little effect on the frequency of MBHs in large galaxies (at most a 20 per cent effect). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We calculate the observable signature of a black hole (BH) accretion disk with a gap or a hole created by a secondary BH embedded in the disk. We find that for an interesting range of parameters of BH masses (∼106-109M☼), orbital separation (∼1 AU to ∼0.1 pc), and gap width (10-190 disk scale heights), the missing thermal emission from a gap manifests itself in an observable decrement in the spectral energy distribution (SED). We present observational diagnostics in terms of power-law forms that can be fit to line-free regions in active galactic nucleus (AGN) spectra or in fluxes from sequences of broad filters. Most interestingly, the change in slope in the broken power law is almost entirely dependent on the width of the gap in the accretion disk, which in turn is uniquely determined by the mass ratio of the BHs, such that it scales roughly as q5/12. Thus, one can use spectral observations of the continuum of bright AGNs to infer not only the presence of a closely separated BH binary, but also the mass ratio. When the BH merger opens an entire hole (or cavity) in the inner disk, the broadband SED of the AGNs or quasar may serve as a diagnostic. Such sources should be especially luminous in optical bands but intrinsically faint in X-rays (i.e., not merely obscured). We briefly note that viable candidates may have already been identified, though extant detailed modeling of those with high-quality data have not yet revealed an inner cavity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have used Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images, SAURON Integral Field Spectroscopy (IFS), and adaptative optics assisted Gemini NIFS near-infrared K-band IFS to map the stellar and gas distribution, excitation and kinematics of the inner few kpc of the nearby edge-on S0 galaxy NGC 4111. The HST images map its ≈450 pc diameter dusty polar ring, with an estimated gas mass ≥107 M⊙. The NIFS data cube maps the inner 110 pc radius at ≈7 pc spatial resolution, revealing a ≈220 pc diameter polar ring in hot (2267 ± 166 K) molecular H2 1–0 S(1) gas embedded in the polar ring. The stellar velocity field shows disc-dominated kinematics along the galaxy plane both in the SAURON large scale and in the NIFS nuclear-scale data. The large-scale [O  iii ] λ5007 Å velocity field shows a superposition of two disc kinematics: one similar to that of the stars and another along the polar ring, showing non-circular motions that seem to connect with the velocity field of the nuclear H2 ring, whose kinematics indicate accelerated inflow to the nucleus. The estimated mass inflow rate is enough not only to feed an active galactic nucleus (AGN) but also to trigger circumnuclear star formation in the near future. We propose a scenario in which gas from the polar ring, which probably originated from the capture of a dwarf galaxy, is moving inwards and triggering an AGN, as supported by the local X-ray emission, which seems to be the source of the H2 1–0 S(1) excitation. The fact that we see neither near-UV nor Br γ emission suggests that the nascent AGN is still deeply buried under the optically thick dust of the polar ring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relation of central black hole mass and stellar spheroid velocity dispersion (the M–σ relation) is one of the best-known and tightest correlations linking black holes and their host galaxies. There has been much scrutiny concerning the difficulty of obtaining accurate black hole measurements, and rightly so; however, it has been taken for granted that measurements of velocity dispersion are essentially straightforward. We examine five disc galaxies from cosmological SPH simulations and find that line-of-sight effects due to galaxy orientation can affect the measured σlos by 30 per cent, and consequently black hole mass predictions by up to 1.0 dex. Face-on orientations correspond to systematically lower velocity dispersion measurements, while more edge-on orientations give higher velocity dispersions, due to contamination by disc stars when measuring line-of-sight quantities. We caution observers that the uncertainty of velocity dispersion measurements is at least 20 km s−1, and can be much larger for moderate inclinations. This effect may account for some of the scatter in the locally measured M–σ relation, particularly at the low-mass end. We provide a method for correcting observed σlos values for inclination effects based on observable quantities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine whether the properties of central black holes in galactic nuclei correlate with their host dark matter halos. We analyze the entire sample of galaxies where black hole mass, velocity dispersion σ, and asymptotic circular velocity Vc. have all been measured. We fit MBH-σ and MBH-Vc to a power law, and find that in both relationships the scatter and slope are similar. This model-independent analysis suggests that although the black hole masses are not uniquely determined by dark matter halo mass, when considered for the current sample as a whole, the MBH-Vc correlation may be as strong (or as weak) as MBH-σ. Although the data are sparse, there appears to be more scatter in the correlation for both cr and V,, at the low-mass end. This is not unexpected given our current understanding of galaxy and black hole assembly. In fact, there are several compelling reasons that account for this: (1) supermassive black hole (SMBH) formation is likely less efficient in low-mass galaxies with large angular momentum content, (2) SMBH growth is less efficient in low-mass disk galaxies that have not experienced major mergers, and (3) dynamical effects, such as gravitational recoil, increase scatter preferentially at the low-mass end. Therefore, the recent observational claim of the absence of central SMBHs in bulgeless, low-mass galaxies, or deviations from the correlations defined by high-mass black holes in large galaxies today is, in fact, predicated by current models of black hole growth. We show how this arises as a direct consequence of the coupling between dark matter halos and central black holes at the earliest epochs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the distribution of massive black holes (MBHs) in the Virgo cluster. Observations suggest that active galactic nuclei activity is widespread in massive galaxies ( M*≳ 1010 M⊙), while at lower galaxy masses star clusters are more abundant, which might imply a limited presence of central black holes in these galaxy-mass regimes. We explore if this possible threshold in MBH hosting is linked to nature, nurture or a mixture of both. The nature scenario arises naturally in hierarchical cosmologies, as MBH formation mechanisms typically are efficient in biased systems, which would later evolve into massive galaxies. Nurture, in the guise of MBH ejections following MBH mergers, provides an additional mechanism that is more effective for low mass, satellite galaxies. The combination of inefficient formation, and lower retention of MBHs, leads to the natural explanation of the distribution of compact massive objects in Virgo galaxies. If MBHs arrive to the correlation with the host mass and velocity dispersion during merger-triggered accretion episodes, sustained tidal stripping of the host galaxies creates a population of MBHs which lie above the expected scaling between the holes and their host mass, suggesting a possible environmental dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most massive galaxies have supermassive black holes at their centres, and the masses of the black holes are believed to correlate with properties of the host-galaxy bulge component. Several explanations have been proposed for the existence of these locally established empirical relationships, including the non-causal, statistical process of galaxy-galaxy merging, direct feedback between the black hole and its host galaxy, and galaxy-galaxy merging and the subsequent violent relaxation and dissipation. The empirical scaling relations are therefore important for distinguishing between various theoretical models of galaxy evolution, and they furthermore form the basis for all black-hole mass measurements at large distances. Observations have shown that the mass of the black hole is typically 0.1 per cent of the mass of the stellar bulge of the galaxy. Until now, the galaxy with the largest known fraction of its mass in its central black hole (11 per cent) was the small galaxy NGC?4486B. Here we report observations of the stellar kinematics of NGC?1277, which is a compact, lenticular galaxy with a mass of 1.2?×?1011 solar masses. From the data, we determine that the mass of the central black hole is 1.7?×?1010 solar masses, or 59 per cent of its bulge mass. We also show observations of five other compact galaxies that have properties similar to NGC?1277 and therefore may also contain over-massive black holes. It is not yet known if these galaxies represent a tail of a distribution, or if disk-dominated galaxies fail to follow the usual black-hole mass scaling relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a month-long X-ray light curve from RXTE /PCA and 1.5 month-long UV continuum light curves from IUE spectra in 1220–1970 Å, we performed a detailed time-lag study of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 7469. Our cross-correlation analysis confirms previous results showing that the X-rays are delayed relative to the UV continuum at 1315 Å by 3.49 ± 0.22 d, which is possibly caused by either propagating fluctuation or variable Comptonization. However, if variations slower than 5 d are removed from the X-ray light curve, the UV variations then lag behind the X-ray variations by 0.37 ± 0.14 d, consistent with reprocessing of the X-rays by a surrounding accretion disc. A very similar reverberation delay is observed between Swift /XRT X-ray and Swift /UVOT UVW 2, U light curves. Continuum light curves extracted from the Swift /GRISM spectra show delays with respect to X-rays consistent with reverberation. Separating the UV continuum variations faster and slower than 5 d, the slow variations at 1825 Å lag those at 1315 Å by 0.29 ± 0.06 d, while the fast variations are coincident (0.04 ± 0.12 d). The UV/optical continuum reverberation lag from IUE, Swift , and other optical telescopes at different wavelengths are consistent with the relationship: τ ∝ λ4/3, predicted for the standard accretion disc theory while the best-fitting X-ray delay from RXTE and Swift /XRT shows a negative X-ray offset of ∼0.38 d from the standard disc delay prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dedicated photometric and spectroscopic surveys have provided unambiguous evidence for a strong stellar mass–size evolution of galaxies within the last 10 Gyr. The likely progenitors of today’smostmassive galaxies are remarkably small, discy, passive and have already assembled much of their stellar mass at redshift z = 2. An in-depth analysis of these objects, however, is currently not feasible due to the lack of high-quality, spatially resolved photometric and spectroscopic data. In this paper, we present a sample of nearby compact elliptical galaxies (CEGs), which bear resemblance to the massive and quiescent galaxy population at earlier times. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and wide-field integral field unit (IFU) data have been obtained, and are used to constrain orbit-based dynamical models and stellar population synthesis (SPS) fits, to unravel their structural and dynamical properties. We first show that our galaxies are outliers in the present-day stellar mass–size relation. They are, however, consistent with the mass–size relation of compact, massive and quiescent galaxies at redshift z = 2. The compact sizes of our nearby galaxies imply high central stellar mass surface densities, which are also in agreement with the massive galaxy population at higher redshift, hinting at strong dissipational processes during their formation. Corroborating evidence for a largely passive evolution within the last 10 Gyr is provided by their orbital distribution as well as their stellar populations, which are difficult to reconcile with a very active (major) merging history. This all supports that we can use nearby CEGs as local analogues of the high-redshift, massive and quiescent galaxy population, thus providing additional constraints for models of galaxy formation and evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the compact, early-type galaxy NGC 1281 with integral field unit observations to map the stellar line-of-sight velocity distribution (LOSVD) out to five effective radii and construct orbit-based dynamical models to constrain its dark and luminous matter content. Under the assumption of mass-follows-light, the H-band stellar mass-to-light ratio (M/L) is Ƴ* = 2.7 ± 0.1 Ƴ⊙, and higher than expected from our stellar population synthesis fits with either a canonical Kroupa (Ƴ* = 1.3 Ƴ⊙) or Salpeter (Ƴ* = 1.7 Ƴ⊙) stellar initial mass function. Such models also cannot reproduce the details of the LOSVD. Models with a dark halo recover the kinematics well and indicate that NGC 1281 is dark matter dominated, making up ~ 90 per cent of the total enclosed mass within the kinematic bounds. Parametrized as a spherical NFW profile, the dark halo mass is 11.5 = log(MDM/M⊙) = 11.8 and the stellar M/L is 0.6 = Ƴ*/Ƴ⊙ = 1.1. However, this M/L is lower than predicted by its old stellar population. Moreover, the halo mass within the kinematic extent is 10 times larger than expected based on A-cold-dark-matter predictions, and an extrapolation yields cluster-sized dark halo masses. Adopting Ƴ* = 1.7 Ƴ⊙ yields more moderate dark halo virial masses, but these models fit the kinematics worse. A non-NFW model might solve the discrepancy between the unphysical consequences of the best-fitting dynamical models and models based on more reasonable assumptions for the dark halo and stellar M/L, which are disfavoured according to our parameter estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a dynamical analysis to infer the structural parameters and properties of the two nearby, compact, high-velocity dispersion galaxies MRK 1216 and NGC 1277. Combining deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging, wide-field integral field unit stellar kinematics, and complementary long-slit spectroscopic data out to three effective radii, we construct orbit-based models to constrain their black hole masses, dark matter content and stellar mass-to-light ratios. We obtain a black hole mass of log(M•/Mʄ) = 10.1+0.1−0.2 for NGC 1277 and an upper limit of log(M•/Mʄ) = 10.0 for MRK 1216, within 99.7 percent (3σ) confidence. The stellar mass-to-light ratios span a range of ϒV = 6.5+1.5−1.5 in NGC 1277 and ϒH = 1.8+0.5−0.8 in MRK 1216 and are in good agreement with single stellar population models of a single power-law Salpeter initial mass function. Even though our models do not place strong constraints on the dark halo parameters, they suggest that dark matter is a necessary ingredient in MRK 1216, with a dark matter contribution of 22+30−20 percent to the total mass budget within one effective radius. NGC 1277, on the other hand, can be reproduced without the need for a dark halo, and a maximal dark matter fraction of 13 percent within the same radial extent. In addition, we investigate the orbital structures of both galaxies, which are rotationally supported and consistent with photometric multi-Sérsic decompositions, indicating that these compact objects do not host classical, non-rotating bulges formed during recent (z ≤ 2) dissipative events or through violent relaxation. Finally, both MRK 1216 and NGC 1277 are anisotropic, with a global anisotropy parameter δ of 0.33 and 0.58, respectively. While MRK 1216 follows the trend of fast-rotating, oblate galaxies with a flattened velocity dispersion tensor in the meridional plane of the order of βz ~ δ, NGC 1277 is highly tangentially anisotropic and seems to belong kinematically to a distinct class of objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]