A world group of astronomers said on January 17, 2024, that it has found a brand new candidate for the oldest-known black hole. They stated it was over 13 billion years previous, almost as previous because the universe itself, in line with fashionable theories. It seems thus far again to solely 400 million years after the Big Bang. They stated this black hole is “consuming” its host galaxy, devouring materials to assist it develop. Nothing new there. Black holes within the early universe are hungry in that means! However the researchers additionally stated that this black hole is extra large than anticipated for present so early within the historical past of the universe.
The researchers, led by the College of Cambridge within the U.Ok., published the peer-reviewed particulars of their discovery in Nature on January 17, 2024. The paper can also be obtainable as a preprint on arXiv.
Oldest-known black hole
The black hole resides within the middle of the younger galaxy GN-z11. That is just like how supermassive black holes are sometimes discovered within the facilities of galaxies. Nevertheless it’s uncommon to see a large black hole in a galaxy nonetheless so younger, only some hundred million years previous. Whereas the black hole could also be comparatively small size-wise, this can be very large, a number of million occasions extra large than our sun. Lead writer Roberto Maiolino on the College of Cambridge said:
It’s very early within the universe to see a black hole this large, so we’ve bought to think about different methods they could type. Very early galaxies have been extraordinarily gas-rich, so they’d have been like a buffet for black holes.
To be clear, astronomers are seeing the oldest identified black hole because it existed over 13 billion years in the past. That’s counting again from the current day, our time. However that signifies that at the moment, the black hole was really nonetheless younger. We’re seeing it because it existed solely 400 million years after the Large Bang. On a cosmic timescale, it was nonetheless a child. The universe was solely 3% of its present age.
Black gap is devouring its galaxy
Black holes eat gasoline and different materials round them, serving to them to develop. And this one is not any completely different. However the astronomers additionally stated that this black hole has an enormous urge for food, way more than older black holes. However which will even be detrimental, as it could be consuming too a lot. If a black hole consumes an excessive amount of gasoline, it would begin to push the gasoline away from it as an alternative.
The gasoline strikes away in a super-fast “wind.” That wind can hamper star formation within the host galaxy. That is damaging not solely to the galaxy, however the black hole itself. Why? As a result of it successfully kills off the black hole’s meals provide. So by consuming too quick, the black hole can also be making certain its personal destiny.
The host galaxy, GN-z11, can also be younger, and on the small aspect as galaxies go. It’s about 100 occasions smaller than our Milky Way. Like with different galaxies, this supermassive black hole is at its middle. Nevertheless, this additionally poses questions. In response to present understanding of how black holes type, it ought to take round a billion years for it to change into as large as it’s. However as already famous, each the galaxy and black hole are solely about 400 million years previous. So how did it get so large?
A brand new period
Astronomers count on that Webb will have the ability to discover extra black holes which might be even older. And as Maiolino additionally famous, Webb is taking us into a brand new period:
It’s a brand new period: the large leap in sensitivity, particularly within the infrared, is like upgrading from Galileo’s telescope to a contemporary telescope in a single day. Earlier than Webb got here on-line, I believed perhaps the universe isn’t so attention-grabbing while you transcend what we may see with the Hubble House Telescope. However that hasn’t been the case in any respect: the universe has been fairly beneficiant in what it’s exhibiting us, and that is only the start.
Backside line: Astronomers have found the oldest identified black hole. It dates again greater than 13 billion years, to when the universe was solely 400 million years previous.
Source: A small and vigorous black hole in the early Universe
Source (preprint): A small and vigorous black hole in the early Universe
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