Astronomers discover supermassive black hole defying our knowledge of universe
Astronomers have unearthed a supermassive black hole, located in galaxy J1120+0641, using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The black hole was observed as it existed when the universe was just 5% of its current age. Interestingly, despite having a mass over a billion times that of the Sun, this cosmic behemoth didn't appear to be consuming much surrounding matter during this early period.
Supermassive black hole challenges existing theories
The discovery of such a massive black hole at the universe's infancy presents a puzzle for scientists. The growth processes of supermassive black holes, including mergers and feeding on surrounding matter, should take around a billion years. Therefore, the existence of such massive entities before the universe was even a billion years old is baffling. Dr. Sarah Bosman from Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) remarked, "Overall, the new observations only add to the mystery: Early quasars were shockingly normal."
Observations contradict rapid growth theory
James Webb's observations of the supermassive black hole in J1120+0641 showed no evidence of an "ultra-effective feeding mode," a theory proposed to explain the rapid growth of these cosmic giants. The team used JWST's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to study the quasar at the heart of J1120+0641. The findings showed that the cosmic supply chain functions akin to that of "modern" quasars closer to Earth, contradicting the theory of an enhanced feeding mechanism leading to rapid growth.
New theory emerges from black hole discovery
The research supports a different theory suggesting that these cosmic titans formed from already massive black hole "seeds" resulting from the collapse of early and gigantic clouds of gas. This theory aligns with the observed behavior of the black hole in J1120+0641. The study, which adds a new dimension to our understanding of early quasars, was published in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Black hole discovery challenges growth limit theory
Black holes have a growth rate limit due to the conservation of angular momentum and radiation pressure from emitted light, known as the "Eddington limit." The finding of supermassive black holes with masses as high as 10 billion Suns in the early cosmos, particularly less than one billion years after the Big Bang, poses a significant problem. This finding challenges previous beliefs that black holes grew gradually alongside galactic growth.
