Primordial black holes may explain how supermassive black holes formed in the early universe, researchers propose.
NASA's simulation shows two glowing supermassive black holes spiraling toward a collision
Photo Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Astronomers have been perplexed by the existence of supermassive black holes detected during the universe's earliest phases, just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. Recent findings, as detailed in a study submitted to the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, suggest these cosmic giants may have originated as primordial "seeds" during the Big Bang itself. This hypothesis could provide insights into how such enormous black holes emerged in the universe's infancy.
As per the study, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has identified supermassive black holes in galaxies formed shortly after the Big Bang. These black holes, which range from hundreds of thousands to billions of times the mass of the Sun, appear to have developed faster than current astrophysical models predict.
Conventionally, black holes form from the remnants of massive stars. However, the timeline observed with JWST poses challenges, as this process would require stars to form, die, and merge at an extraordinarily accelerated rate.
In the 1970s, Stephen Hawking theorised that black holes might have emerged directly from the extreme density fluctuations present during the Big Bang, rather than from stellar collapse. These "primordial" black holes, initially small, could have grown over time by accreting surrounding matter. Researchers propose that even a fraction of these primordial black holes could have reached supermassive sizes within 100 million years, aligning with JWST's observations.
As per a Live Space.com report, the study's authors have recommended integrating this model into simulations of early galaxy formation. This approach could test the feasibility of primordial black holes growing alongside the first stars and galaxies. If confirmed, it would reshape our understanding of black hole development and cosmic evolution. Further observational and computational studies will be required to validate this hypothesis.
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