Supermassive black hole or nuclear bar in M31?
Open Access
- 1 May 1988
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Vol. 232 (1) , 13P-20P
- https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/232.1.13p
Abstract
On the basis of high-resolution kinematic observations it has recently been suggested that the nucleus of M31 is disc-like and contains a supermassive black hole. Here we argue that the central kinematics in M31 can equally well be explained without black hole, if the observed nucleus is a rotating nuclear bar, seen end-on as implied by the Stratoscope II photometry. Then the large apparent rotation velocities are due to the large non-circular streaming velocities in the bar, and the required mass-to-light ratio is $$M/{L}_{\text{r}}\simeq 8$$ with no allowance yet made for dust absorption.
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