James Webb reveals colossal black holes in early galaxies
Supermassive black holes, thought to be 1,000 times larger than previously believed, have been discovered in LRD-type galaxies. This finding could revolutionise our understanding of the early universe.
Researchers using the James Webb (JWST) telescope discovered supermassive black holes in distant galaxies from the early universe. Modern galaxies, such as the Milky Way, have black holes with masses constituting about 0.01 percent of the stellar mass. The new study suggests that in some early galaxies, the black holes have masses amounting to 10 percent of the stellar mass.
Discovery of early galaxies
The research team, led by Jorryt Matthee from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, found that black holes are 1,000 times heavier than expected in the most extreme cases. According to Live Science, this discovery might bring astronomers closer to resolving the mystery of how black holes formed in the early universe. Researchers assert they are nearing a groundbreaking discovery.
Since the summer of 2022, the JWST telescope has been providing data that aids astronomers in better comprehending the early cosmos. Among other revelations, supermassive black holes with millions of solar masses have been identified. The studies present challenges, as it is presumed that the processes leading to phenomena like black holes take longer than a billion years.
Galaxies full of small red dots
JWST studies have also revealed images of galaxies with small red dots, which began forming approximately 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang. The red hue of these galaxies results from the gas and dust surrounding black holes, which emit tremendous 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 "small red dot" galaxies featuring active galactic nuclei (AGN) proves that black holes in the early universe might have been actively growing in galaxies with relatively low stellar masses, totalling only about 100 million solar masses. This implies that the black hole formation and growth processes could have occurred much more rapidly than the rate we observe today.
Matthee emphasises that the next steps in the research will involve eliminating the possibility of erroneous measurements of black holes and galaxies' masses. JWST will play a crucial role in future discoveries, allowing for more precise mapping of galaxies and their properties. These studies are currently highly exciting and may yield new insights into the early universe.
