The James Webb Space Telescope's ability to peer back in time and its high sensitivity are unraveling the universe's mysteries like never before.
This is evident from a recent discovery, as a team of scientists from MIT used the telescope to observe light that had been traveling for 13 billion years to Earth, originating from stars surrounding some of the earliest supermassive black holes.
These observations raise questions about our current models of black hole formation, as these supermassive black holes are present only a few million years after the big bang and are massive, equivalent to millions or even billions of suns. One theory suggests that these black holes originated from 'heavy seed' black holes, growing from these massive seeds in the early universe.
This discovery sheds light on the evolution of black holes and galaxies in the early universe. It suggests that supermassive black holes might have gained their mass before their host galaxies did, indicating that the initial black hole seeds could have been more massive than those seen today.
The observations also hint at a mechanism called "direct collapse," where massive clouds of dust and gas collapse to form black holes without going through the star formation stage. This process could have led to the rapid growth of these supermassive black holes, challenging our previous understanding of black hole formation.
Subscribe to take a deep dive into the unknown with Territory - / @territoryspace
Instagram - territoryspace
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @territoryspace
13 май 2024
