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Seminari INAF
The population of infant black holes in the early Universe revealed by the James Webb Space Telescope
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Europe/Rome
Sala Jappelli (Osservatorio astronomico di Padova)
Sala Jappelli
Osservatorio astronomico di Padova
Description
The James Webb Space Telescope is revolutionising most areas of astrophysics. One of the most exciting and puzzling findings has been the discovery of a large population of accreting massive black holes within the first few billion years after the Big Bang. Their properties are remarkably different from Active Galactic Nuclei at lower redshift or when compared with the population of much more luminous quasars at similar cosmic epochs. Their large number and physical properties are difficult to reconcile with the standard black hole formation scenarios, and have required the development of new models, which are being tested against the additional constraints that are being provided by JWST.
JWST has also revealed that the interplay between these early black holes with their host galaxies was probably quite different than what observed at later cosmic epochs, with important implications for the early formation of galaxies and their stellar populations.
JWST is also finding an intriguing, significant population of dual black holes, which might be in the process of merging, indicating that this might be an additional route for their early growth and also an early source of gravitational waves.
The seminar will give an overview of these various findings, highlighting the impressive progress made so far and also the exciting new questions that have been opened, as well as the prospects of tackling them in the coming years.
JWST has also revealed that the interplay between these early black holes with their host galaxies was probably quite different than what observed at later cosmic epochs, with important implications for the early formation of galaxies and their stellar populations.
JWST is also finding an intriguing, significant population of dual black holes, which might be in the process of merging, indicating that this might be an additional route for their early growth and also an early source of gravitational waves.
The seminar will give an overview of these various findings, highlighting the impressive progress made so far and also the exciting new questions that have been opened, as well as the prospects of tackling them in the coming years.
