MÜNCHEN - Recent observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have provided surprising insights into the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes during the early universe, raising new questions for astronomers.
The early billion years of the universe are a critical period marked by the emergence of the first galaxies and their supermassive black holes, whose mass and existence remain a mystery. Researchers worldwide are investigating how these objects could have amassed such significant mass so quickly.
Utilizing its MIRI instrument, the JWST has challenged existing theories with new data. Observations indicate that the earliest black holes did not possess a unique mechanism for rapid mass growth; instead, they appear to behave similarly to modern counterparts.
A key focus of the research is the study of quasars, the brightest active galactic nuclei powered by supermassive black holes. These distant objects provide a glimpse into the universe shortly after the Big Bang, as their light takes billions of years to reach us.
The recent observations centered on the quasar J1120+0641, which existed during the era known as the "cosmic dawn." Analysis of this quasar's spectrum revealed that the dust torus surrounding the black hole is nearly indistinguishable from that of more contemporary quasars, contradicting the hypothesis of an unusually rapid growth mechanism for these early objects.
However, a notable difference was observed: the temperature of the dust around the quasar is approximately 100 Kelvin higher than that of less distant quasars. This unexpected finding may provide new insights into the physical conditions of the early universe.
The results suggest that supermassive black holes may have existed with substantial masses from the beginning. These so-called "primordial" black holes could have formed from the collapse of massive gas clouds rather than evolving from the remnants of early stars.
The research findings have been published in the prestigious journal Nature, contributing to a deeper understanding of cosmic evolution. Despite these advancements, the question of how these massive objects formed so early in the universe remains open and intriguing.