A MEASUREMENT OF THE BLACK HOLE MASS IN NGC 1097 USING ALMA

Abstract

We present an estimate of the mass of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) in the nearby type-1 Seyfert galaxy \object{NGC 1097} using Atacamma Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of dense gas kinematics. Dense molecular gas dynamics are traced with ${\rm HCN} (J=1-0)$ and ${\rm HCO^{+}} (J=1-0)$ emission lines. Assuming a host galaxy inclination of $46^{\circ}$, we derive a SMBH mass, $M_{\rm BH}=1.40^{+0.27}_{-0.32} \times 10^{8}M_{\odot}$, and an I-band mass to light ratio to be $5.14^{+0.03}_{-0.04}$, using ${\rm HCN} (J=1-0)$. The estimated parameters are consistent between the two emission lines. The measured SMBH mass is in good agreement with the SMBH mass and bulge velocity dispersion relationship. Our result showcases ALMA's potential for deriving accurate SMBH masses, especially for nearby late-type galaxies. Larger samples and accurate SMBH masses will further elucidate the relationship between the black hole (BH) and host galaxy properties and constrain the coevolutionary growth of galaxies and BHs.