MODELS OF GALAXIES WITH CENTRAL BLACK-HOLES - SIMULATION METHODS

We present a method for simulating numerically the effect of the adiab atic growth of black holes on the structure of elliptical galaxies. Us ing a parallel self-consistent held code, we add black holes to N-body realizations of model distribution functions for spherical galaxies, using a continuous mass spectrum. The variable particle mass, combined with a simple multiple time-step integration scheme, makes it possibl e to evolve the models for many dynamical times with N similar to 10(6 )-10(8), allowing high spatial and mass resolution. This paper discuss es verification of the code using analytic models for spherical galaxi es, comparing our numerical results of the effect of central black hol es on the structure of the galaxies with previously published models. The intrinsic and projected properties of the find particle distributi on, including higher order moments of the velocity distribution, permi t comparison with observed characteristics of real galaxies and constr ain the masses of any central black holes present in those galaxies. O ur technique is promising and is easily extended to axisymmetric and t riaxial galaxies.