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Estimation of black hole spins in low-mass AGNs and comparison with other types of AGNs

M. Yu. Piotrovich*, S. D. Buliga, and T. M. Natsvlishvili

  • *Contact author: mpiotrovich@mail.ru
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Phys. Rev. D 114, 023027 – Published 16 July, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/6gsd-66wv

Abstract

We estimate the spins of a sample of 58 low-mass AGNs. Analysis of the obtained spins shows that they decrease with increasing SMBH mass, leading us to hypothesize that mergers and/or chaotic accretion are the primary mechanisms for mass growth. In this regard, we propose a more general hypothesis about the evolution of AGNs. We assume that early low-mass SMBHs have high spins; then, during their evolution, the spins initially decrease and then begin to increase, with the rate of increase gradually slowing.

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Phys. Rev. D 114, 023027– Published 16 July, 2026
  • Received 4 May 2026
  • Accepted 29 June 2026
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