Observational signatures of massive black hole formation in the early Universe
Abstract
Space telescope observations of massive black holes during their formation may be key to understanding the origin of supermassive black holes and high-redshift quasars. To design diagnostics for their detection and confirmation, we study a simulation of a nascent massive ‘direct-collapse’ black hole that induces a wave of nearby massive metal-free star formation, unique to this seeding scenario and to very high redshifts. In this work, we describe a series of distinct colours and emission line strengths, dependent on the relative strength of star formation and black hole accretion. We predict that the forthcoming James Webb Space Telescope might be able to detect and distinguish a young galaxy that hosts a direct-collapse black hole in this configuration at redshift 15 with as little as a 20,000-second total exposure time across four filters, critical for constraining the seeding mechanisms and early growth rates of supermassive black holes. We also discover that a massive seed black hole produces strong, H2-dissociating Lyman–Werner radiation.
- Authors:
-
- Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)
- Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Science Foundation (NSF)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1565853
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-17-30611
Journal ID: ISSN 2397-3366; TRN: US2000909
- Grant/Contract Number:
- 89233218CNA000001
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Nature Astronomy
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 2; Journal Issue: 12; Journal ID: ISSN 2397-3366
- Publisher:
- Springer Nature
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
Citation Formats
Barrow, Kirk S. S., Aykutalp, Aycin, and Wise, John H. Observational signatures of massive black hole formation in the early Universe. United States: N. p., 2018.
Web. doi:10.1038/s41550-018-0569-y.
Barrow, Kirk S. S., Aykutalp, Aycin, & Wise, John H. Observational signatures of massive black hole formation in the early Universe. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-018-0569-y
Barrow, Kirk S. S., Aykutalp, Aycin, and Wise, John H. Mon .
"Observational signatures of massive black hole formation in the early Universe". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-018-0569-y. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1565853.
@article{osti_1565853,
title = {Observational signatures of massive black hole formation in the early Universe},
author = {Barrow, Kirk S. S. and Aykutalp, Aycin and Wise, John H.},
abstractNote = {Space telescope observations of massive black holes during their formation may be key to understanding the origin of supermassive black holes and high-redshift quasars. To design diagnostics for their detection and confirmation, we study a simulation of a nascent massive ‘direct-collapse’ black hole that induces a wave of nearby massive metal-free star formation, unique to this seeding scenario and to very high redshifts. In this work, we describe a series of distinct colours and emission line strengths, dependent on the relative strength of star formation and black hole accretion. We predict that the forthcoming James Webb Space Telescope might be able to detect and distinguish a young galaxy that hosts a direct-collapse black hole in this configuration at redshift 15 with as little as a 20,000-second total exposure time across four filters, critical for constraining the seeding mechanisms and early growth rates of supermassive black holes. We also discover that a massive seed black hole produces strong, H2-dissociating Lyman–Werner radiation.},
doi = {10.1038/s41550-018-0569-y},
journal = {Nature Astronomy},
number = 12,
volume = 2,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Sep 10 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Mon Sep 10 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
Web of Science
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