Lyman-α Emission from an Infant Black Hole in the Early Universe
The COSMOS survey recently discovered an exotic young galaxy, COSMOS Redshift 7 (CR7), in the early universe (1 billion years after the Big Bang), which is devoid of evidence of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. Whereas some believe this might be the first galaxy discovered with stars made only from these elements, others think CR7 may be powered by a newborn supermassive black hole. In this paper, we summarize for a general academic audience our efforts to model the creation of this galaxy through cosmological simulations. These state-of-the-art calculations include primordial chemistry and cooling and the interaction of x-rays from the black hole with surrounding gas. We simulate the process of light escaping this object with Monte Carlo Lyman-α transfer and compare our calculations with observations of CR7. Our work demonstrates the viability of the black hole interpretation for this intriguing object in the early universe.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-06NA25396
- OSTI ID:
- 1361480
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-16-23949
- Journal Information:
- Journal of the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts, & Letters, Vol. 93; Related Information: ISBN-13: 978-0-9988268-0-6; ISSN 0083-4823
- Publisher:
- University of UtahCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
STELLAR MASSES OF LYMAN BREAK GALAXIES, Lyalpha EMITTERS, AND RADIO GALAXIES IN OVERDENSE REGIONS AT z = 4-6
Cosmic Dawn: The First Star in the Universe