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Description
Several recent papers have reported on the occurrence of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) containing undermassive black holes relative to a linear scaling relation between black hole mass (M_bh_) and host spheroid stellar mass (M_sph,*_). However, dramatic revisions to the M_bh_-M_sph,*_ and M_bh_-L_sph_ relations, based on samples containing predominantly inactive galaxies, have recently identified a new steeper relation at M_bh_<~(2-10)x10^8^M_{sun}_, roughly corresponding to M_sph,*_<~(0.3-1)x10^11^M_{sun}_. We show that this steeper, quadratic-like M_bh_-M_sph,*_ relation defined by the Sersic galaxies, i.e., galaxies without partially depleted cores, roughly tracks the apparent offset of the AGN having 10^5^<~M_bh_/M_{sun}_<~0.5x10^8^. That is, these AGNs are not randomly offset with low black hole masses, but also follow a steeper (nonlinear) relation. As noted by Busch et al. (2014, J/A+A/561/A140), confirmation or rejection of a possible AGN offset from the steeper M_bh_-M _sph,*_ relation defined by the Sersic galaxies will benefit from improved stellar mass-to-light ratios for the spheroids hosting these AGNs. Several implications for formation theories are noted. Furthermore, reasons for possible under- and overmassive black holes, the potential existence of intermediate mass black holes (<10^5^M_{sun}_), and the new steep (black hole)-(nuclear star cluster) relation, M_bh_{propto}M_nc_^2.7+/-0.7^, are also discussed.
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