skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Radiation Hydrodynamical Simulations of the First Quasars

Journal Article · · The Astrophysical Journal (Online)

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) are the central engines of luminous quasars and are found in most massive galaxies today. But the recent discoveries of ULAS J1120+0641, a 2 × 109 $${M}_{\odot }$$ black hole (BH) at z = 7.1, and ULAS J1342+0928, a 8.0 × 108 $${M}_{\odot }$$ BH at z = 7.5, now push the era of quasar formation up to just 690 Myr after the Big Bang. Here we report new cosmological simulations of SMBHs with X-rays fully coupled to primordial chemistry and hydrodynamics which show that J1120 and J1342 can form from direct collapse black holes if their growth is fed by cold, dense accretion streams, like those thought to fuel rapid star formation in some galaxies at later epochs. Our models reproduce all of the observed properties of J1120: its mass, luminosity, and H ii region as well as star formation rates and metallicities in its host galaxy. They also reproduce the dynamical mass of the innermost 1.5 kpc of its emission region recently measured by ALMA and J-band magnitudes that are in good agreement with those found by the VISTA Hemisphere Survey.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program
Grant/Contract Number:
89233218CNA000001; AC52-06NA25396
OSTI ID:
1505985
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-16-28026
Journal Information:
The Astrophysical Journal (Online), Vol. 865, Issue 2; ISSN 1538-4357
Publisher:
Institute of Physics (IOP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 35 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (142)

Ubiquitous seeding of supermassive black holes by direct collapse: Seeding of SMBHs by direct collapse journal September 2012
Accretion onto the First Stellar-Mass Black Holes journal August 2009
Songlines from Direct Collapse seed Black Holes: Effects of X-Rays on Black hole Growth and Stellar Populations journal December 2014
An 800-million-solar-mass black hole in a significantly neutral Universe at a redshift of 7.5 journal December 2017
A Simple Technique for Predicting High-Redshift Galaxy Evolution journal January 2015
Outflows driven by quasars in high-redshift galaxies with radiation hydrodynamics journal September 2016
Formation of massive seed black holes via collisions and accretion journal January 2018
Black hole Growth and Active Galactic Nuclei Obscuration by Instability-Driven Inflows in High-Redshift disk Galaxies fed by cold Streams journal October 2011
Enzo: an Adaptive mesh Refinement code for Astrophysics journal March 2014
Galaxy formation and physical bias journal November 1992
Low-energy Population III supernovae and the origin of extremely metal-poor stars journal February 2017
How the First Stars Regulated Star Formation. II. Enrichment by Nearby Supernovae journal July 2017
The impact of ionizing radiation on the formation of a supermassive star in the early Universe journal February 2017
Feedback from Central Black Holes in Elliptical Galaxies. i. Models with Either Radiative or Mechanical Feedback but not both journal June 2009
Driving gas shells with radiation pressure on dust in radiation-hydrodynamic simulations journal October 2017
Quenching star formation with quasar outflows launched by trapped IR radiation journal June 2018
The environment of bright QSOs at z ∼ 6: star-forming galaxies and X-ray emission journal February 2014
Simulating galactic outflows with thermal supernova feedback: Galactic outflows with thermal SN feedback journal September 2012
Self-regulated black hole growth via momentum deposition in galaxy merger simulations: Self-regulated black hole feedback journal June 2010
Galaxy bimodality due to cold flows and shock heating journal May 2006
Cold streams in early massive hot haloes as the main mode of galaxy formation journal January 2009
Formation of the First Nuclear Clusters and Massive Black Holes at high Redshift journal March 2009
Cold Flows and the First Quasars journal January 2012
Feedback-regulated supermassive black hole seed formation journal June 2014
Intrinsic disc emission and the soft X-ray excess in active galactic nuclei: The soft X-ray excess in AGN journal January 2012
Black hole evolution – I. Supernova-regulated black hole growth journal July 2015
High-redshift supermassive black holes: accretion through cold flows journal March 2014
Uncertainties in H 2 and HD chemistry and cooling and their role in early structure formation journal August 2008
Star Formation at Very Low Metallicity. I. Chemistry and Cooling at Low Densities journal September 2007
The Delay of Population iii star Formation by Supersonic Streaming Velocities journal July 2011
Blossoms from black hole seeds: properties and early growth regulated by supernova feedback journal March 2017
On the Rotation of Supermassive Stars journal January 2018
The evolution of supermassive Population III stars journal November 2017
Multi-scale initial conditions for cosmological simulations: Multi-scale initial conditions journal July 2011
Exploring the nature of the Lyman-α emitter CR7 journal July 2016
Supersonic gas streams enhance the formation of massive black holes in the early universe journal September 2017
Primordial star formation under the influence of far ultraviolet radiation: 1540 cosmological haloes and the stellar mass distribution journal February 2015
Cosmological simulations of black hole growth: AGN luminosities and downsizing journal June 2014
Formation of Primordial Supermassive Stars by Rapid mass Accretion journal November 2013
The first stars: formation under cosmic ray feedback journal May 2016
Supermassive black hole formation by cold accretion shocks in the first galaxies: SMBH formation by cold accretion shocks journal April 2012
Direct collapse black hole formation via high-velocity collisions of protogalaxies journal August 2015
The impact of reionization on the formation of supermassive black hole seeds journal September 2014
Supermassive Seeds for Supermassive Black Holes journal June 2013
Supernova Explosions in the Early Universe: Evolution of Radiative Remnants and the Halo Destruction Efficiency journal September 2005
The first miniquasar: The first miniquasar journal September 2005
Impact of baryonic streaming velocities on the formation of supermassive black holes via direct collapse journal April 2014
High-resolution studies of massive primordial haloes journal January 2013
Formation of z ∼6 Quasars from Hierarchical Galaxy Mergers journal August 2007
Supermassive black hole formation during the assembly of pre-galactic discs journal October 2006
Effects of a soft X-ray background on structure formation at high redshift journal January 2003
Super-Critical Growth of Massive Black Holes from Stellar-Mass Seeds journal March 2014
A synthesis model for AGN evolution: supermassive black holes growth and feedback modes journal June 2008
Accretion onto “Seed” Black Holes in the First Galaxies journal May 2009
Accretion onto Intermediate-Mass Black Holes in Dense Protogalactic Clouds journal April 2009
A luminous quasar at a redshift of z = 7.085 journal June 2011
The X-ray properties of z ~ 6 luminous quasars journal July 2017
Forming a Primordial Star in a Relic H ii Region journal July 2005
Shining in the dark: the spectral evolution of the first black holes journal October 2015
Accretion onto Intermediate-Mass Black Holes Regulated by Radiative Feedback. i. Parametric Study for Spherically Symmetric Accretion journal August 2011
Accretion onto Black Holes from Large Scales Regulated by Radiative Feedback. ii. Growth rate and duty Cycle journal February 2012
Accretion onto Black Holes from Large Scales Regulated by Radiative Feedback. iii. Enhanced Luminosity of Intermediate-Mass Black Holes Moving at Supersonic Speeds journal April 2013
Planck 2015 results : XIII. Cosmological parameters journal September 2016
Eight new luminous z ≥ 6 quasars discovered via SED model fitting of VISTA, WISE and Dark Energy Survey Year 1 observations journal March 2017
Fragmentation inside atomic cooling haloes exposed to Lyman–Werner radiation journal January 2018
Pathways to massive black holes and compact star clusters in pre-galactic dark matter haloes with virial temperatures ≳10 000 K journal June 2009
Rapid formation of massive black holes in close proximity to embryonic protogalaxies journal March 2017
Collisions in primordial star clusters: Formation pathway for intermediate mass black holes journal June 2018
Confined Population iii Enrichment and the Prospects for Prompt Second-Generation star Formation journal November 2012
Towards ab initio extremely metal-poor stars journal September 2016
Star formation in the first galaxies – II. Clustered star formation and the influence of metal line cooling journal January 2014
On the properties of massive Population III stars and metal-free stellar populations journal January 2002
The formation of direct collapse black holes under the influence of streaming velocities journal July 2017
Supermassive black hole formation by direct collapse: keeping protogalactic gas H 2 free in dark matter haloes with virial temperatures T vir > rsim 10 4 K journal February 2010
Abundance anomalies in metal-poor stars from Population III supernova ejecta hydrodynamics journal December 2015
Ab Initio Cosmological Simulations of cr7 as an Active Black hole journal September 2016
The growth of black holes from Population III remnants in the Renaissance simulations journal August 2018
The first Population II stars formed in externally enriched mini-haloes journal July 2015
EVIDENCE FOR PopIII-LIKE STELLAR POPULATIONS IN THE MOST LUMINOUS Ly α EMITTERS AT THE EPOCH OF REIONIZATION: SPECTROSCOPIC CONFIRMATION journal July 2015
Effect of Streaming Motion of Baryons Relative to dark Matter on the Formation of the First Stars journal February 2011
Where Can We Really Find the First Stars’ Remnants Today? journal November 2008
The Final Fates of Accreting Supermassive Stars journal October 2016
The Compact, ∼1 kpc Host Galaxy of a Quasar at a Redshift of 7.1 journal March 2017
The case for Supercritical Accretion onto Massive Black Holes at high Redshift journal May 2015
Radiation Hydrodynamic Evolution of Primordial H ii Regions journal July 2004
Radiative and Kinetic Feedback by Low-Mass Primordial Stars journal February 2010
How the First Stars Regulated Local Star Formation. I. Radiative Feedback journal June 2008
The Destruction of Cosmological Minihalos by Primordial Supernovae journal July 2008
The Formation of Supermassive Black Holes from Low-Mass pop iii Seeds journal August 2012
enzo+moray: radiation hydrodynamics adaptive mesh refinement simulations with adaptive ray tracing: AMR simulations with adaptive ray tracing journal May 2011
Resolving the Formation of Protogalaxies. II. Central Gravitational Collapse journal August 2008
On the Maximum Mass of Accreting Primordial Supermassive Stars journal June 2017
Heating the Intergalactic Medium by X-Rays from Population iii Binaries in High-Redshift Galaxies journal August 2014
The brief era of direct collapse black hole formation journal March 2014
Planck 2015 results : XXIII. The thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect-cosmic infrared background correlation journal September 2016
High-redshift supermassive black holes: accretion through cold flows text January 2014
Observing the First Galaxies book January 2013
Quenching star formation with quasar outflows launched by trapped IR radiation text January 2018
Black hole growth and active galactic nuclei obscuration by instability-driven inflows in high-redshift disk galaxies fed by cold streams text January 2011
Planck 2015 results : X. Diffuse component separation: Foreground maps journal September 2016
High-redshift supermassive black holes: accretion through cold flows text January 2014
Driving gas shells with radiation pressure on dust in radiation-hydrodynamic simulations text January 2018
The environment of bright QSOs at z̃6: Star-forming galaxies and X-ray emission text January 2014
Black hole evolution – I. Supernova-regulated black hole growth text January 2015
Forming a primordial star in a relic HII region journal May 2005
Planck 2015 results : XVI. Isotropy and statistics of the CMB journal September 2016
Cold streams in early massive hot haloes as the main mode of galaxy formation text January 2009
Planck 2015 results : XXVI. The Second journal September 2016
Eight new luminous z = 6 quasars discovered via SED model fitting of VISTA, WISE and Dark Energy Survey Year 1 observations text January 2017
Star formation at very low metallicity. I: Chemistry and cooling at low densities text January 2007
How the First Stars Regulated Local Star Formation I: Radiative Feedback text January 2007
Resolving the Formation of Protogalaxies. II. Central Gravitational Collapse text January 2007
Uncertainties in H2 and HD Chemistry and Cooling and their Role in Early Structure Formation text January 2008
A synthesis model for AGN evolution: supermassive black holes growth and feedback modes text January 2008
Accretion onto Seed Black Holes in the First Galaxies text January 2008
Accretion onto Intermediate-Mass Black Holes in Dense Protogalactic Clouds text January 2008
Feedback from central black holes in elliptical galaxies. I: models with either radiative or mechanical feedback but not both text January 2009
Radiative and Kinetic Feedback by Low-Mass Primordial Stars text January 2009
Effect of Streaming Motion of Baryons Relative to Dark Matter on the Formation of the First Stars text January 2010
Confined Population III Enrichment and the Prospects for Prompt Second-Generation Star Formation text January 2012
Enzo: An Adaptive Mesh Refinement Code for Astrophysics text January 2013
Super-Critical Growth of Massive Black Holes from Stellar-Mass Seeds text January 2014
A Simple Technique for Predicting High-Redshift Galaxy Evolution text January 2014
The impact of reionization on the formation of supermassive black hole seeds text January 2014
Feedback-regulated Super Massive Black Hole Seed Formation text January 2014
Planck 2015 results. XIII. Cosmological parameters text January 2015
Direct collapse black hole formation via high-velocity collisions of protogalaxies text January 2015
The First Population II Stars Formed in Externally Enriched Mini-halos text January 2015
The First Stars: formation under cosmic ray feedback text January 2016
Ab Initio Cosmological Simulations of CR7 as an Active Black Hole text January 2016
The Final Fates of Accreting Supermassive Stars text January 2016
How the First Stars Regulated Star Formation. II. Enrichment by Nearby Supernovae text January 2016
The impact of ionizing radiation on the formation of a supermassive star in the early Universe text January 2016
On the Maximum Mass of Accreting Primordial Supermassive Stars text January 2017
The Evolution of Supermassive Population III Stars text January 2017
Quenching star formation with quasar outflows launched by trapped IR radiation text January 2017
Collisions in Primordial Star Clusters: Formation Pathway for intermediate mass black holes text January 2018
The Growth of Black Holes from Population III Remnants in the Renaissance Simulations text January 2018
Effects of a Soft X-ray Background on Structure Formation at High Redshift text January 2002
Radiation Hydrodynamical Evolution of Primordial H II Regions text January 2003
Forming a Primordial Star in a Relic HII Region text January 2005
Supernova Explosions in the Early Universe: Evolution of Radiative Remnants and the Halo Destruction Efficiency text January 2005

Cited By (15)

Titans of the early Universe: The Prato statement on the origin of the first supermassive black holes journal January 2019
Magnetic braking of supermassive stars through winds journal March 2019
The infrared-luminous progenitors of high- z quasars journal November 2018
On the detection of supermassive primordial stars – II. Blue supergiants journal July 2019
High-redshift quasars and their host galaxies – I. Kinematical and dynamical properties and their tracers journal July 2019
Detecting strongly lensed supernovae at z ∼ 5–7 with LSST journal November 2019
The Interplay of Kinetic and Radiative Feedback in Galaxy Clusters journal May 2019
High-redshift Galaxy Formation with Self-consistently Modeled Stars and Massive Black Holes: Stellar Feedback and Quasar Growth journal December 2019
On the Detection of Supermassive Primordial Stars journal December 2018
High Star Formation Rates of Low Eddington Ratio Quasars at z ≳ 6 journal July 2019
The infrared-luminous progenitors of high-z quasars text January 2019
Titans of the Early Universe: The Prato Statement on the Origin of the First Supermassive Black Holes text January 2018
The infrared-luminous progenitors of high-z quasars text January 2018
Magnetic braking of supermassive stars through winds text January 2019
On the Detection of Supermassive Primordial Stars. II. Blue Supergiants text January 2019

Similar Records

An 800-million-solar-mass black hole in a significantly neutral Universe at a redshift of 7.5
Journal Article · Wed Dec 06 00:00:00 EST 2017 · Nature (London) · OSTI ID:1505985

Discovery of three z > 6.5 quasars in the VISTA kilo-degree infrared galaxy (VIKING) survey
Journal Article · Tue Dec 10 00:00:00 EST 2013 · Astrophysical Journal · OSTI ID:1505985

The Compact, ∼1 kpc Host Galaxy of a Quasar at a Redshift of 7.1
Journal Article · Fri Mar 10 00:00:00 EST 2017 · Astrophysical Journal · OSTI ID:1505985