Cosmic Spin and Mass Evolution of Black Holes and Its Impact

Abstract

Abstract We build an evolution model of the central black hole that depends on the processes of gas accretion, the capture of stars, mergers, and electromagnetic torque. In the case of gas accretion in the presence of cooling sources, the flow is momentum driven, after which the black hole reaches a saturated mass; subsequently, it grows only by stellar capture and mergers. We model the evolution of the mass and spin with the initial seed mass and spin in ΛCDM cosmology. For stellar capture, we have assumed a power-law density profile for the stellar cusp in a framework of relativistic loss cone theory that includes the effects of black hole spin, Carter’s constant, loss cone angular momentum, and capture radius. Based on this, the predicted capture rates of 10−5 to 10−6 yr−1 are closer to the observed range. We have considered the merger activity to be effective for z ≲ 4, and we self-consistently include the Blandford–Znajek torque. We calculate these effects on the black hole growth individually and in combination, for deriving the evolution. Before saturation, accretion dominates the black hole growth (∼95% of the final mass), and subsequently stellar capture and mergers take over with roughly equal contributions. The simulations of the evolution of the M •–σ relation using these effects are consistent with available observations. We run our model backward in time and retrodict the parameters at formation. Our model will provide useful inputs for building demographics of the black holes and in formation scenarios involving stellar capture.