Paper detail

The origin of the black hole offset in M31

Using state-of-the-art high-resolution fully GPU N-body simulations, we demonstrate for the first time that the infall of a dark matter rich satellite naturally explains a present black hole offset by sub-parsecs in M31. Observational data of the tidal features provide stringent constraints on the initial conditions of our simulations. The heating of the central region of M31 by the satellite via dynamical friction entails a significant black hole offset after the first pericentric passage. After having reached its maximum offset, the massive black hole sinks towards the M31 centre due to dynamical friction and it is determined to be offset by sub-parsecs as derived by observations.