Supermassive discovery reshapes theories of the early universe
Supermassive black holes, 1,000 times larger than previously thought, have been discovered in LRD-type galaxies. This discovery could change our understanding of the early universe.
Researchers using the James Webb (JWST) telescope discovered supermassive black holes in distant galaxies of the early universe. Modern galaxies, such as the Milky Way, have black holes with masses representing about 0.01% of the stars' mass. The new study reveals that in some early galaxies, the black holes have masses equal 10% of the stars' mass.
Discovery of early galaxies
The research team, led by Jorryt Matthee from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, found that in the most extreme cases, black holes are 1,000 times heavier than they should be. According to Live Science, this discovery might bring astronomers closer to solving the mystery of how black holes formed in the early universe. Researchers claim they are nearing a groundbreaking discovery.
Since the summer of 2022, the JWST telescope has been providing data that help astronomers better understand the early cosmos. Among other findings, supermassive black holes with masses of millions of solar masses have been discovered. However, the studies are problematic because they assume that the processes leading to phenomena like black holes take longer than a billion years.
Galaxies full of small red dots
JWST studies also discovered images of galaxies with small red dots. These galaxies began to form just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang. Their red colour comes from the gas and dust around black holes, which emit enormous amounts of electromagnetic energy. Matthee and his team identified seven such galaxies whose light has travelled to us for 12.5 billion years.
The recent discovery of galaxies known as "small red dots," which possess active galactic nuclei (AGN), provides evidence that black holes might have been actively growing in galaxies with relatively low stellar masses, amounting to only about 100 million solar masses, in the early period of the universe's existence. This suggests that the black hole formation and growth process could have occurred much faster than the currently observed rate.
Matthee emphasizes that the next steps in the research will involve ruling out the possibility of erroneous measurements of black holes and galaxies' masses. The JWST will play a key role in further discoveries, enabling more accurate mapping of galaxies and their properties. These studies are fascinating and may bring new insights into the early universe.
