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Black Hole LID-568
Context:
An international team of researchers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Chandra X-ray Observatory discovered a peculiar black hole named LID-568.
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- The galaxy containing LID-568 isn’t producing many new stars, likely due to the powerful outflows driven by the black hole. These outflows could be preventing matter from accumulating in sufficient quantities to form new stars.
- LID-568’s extreme feeding rate suggests that supermassive black holes might grow rapidly during short bursts of intense accretion, challenging traditional models which suggested long periods of steady feeding.
Supermassive Black Holes
- Definition: Supermassive black holes have masses ranging from millions to billions of times the mass of the Sun. Most galaxies, including the Milky Way, contain one at their centre.
- Example: Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of the Milky Way, has a mass of around 4.3 million solar masses.
- Traditional Models: Previous models suggested supermassive black holes could form from the death of the first stars or the direct collapse of primordial gas clouds, but these require long periods of continuous accretion, which is difficult to explain for black holes that existed when the universe was so young.
Detection and Observations
- Initial Discovery: LID-568 was first detected through Chandra X-ray observations, appearing exceptionally bright in X-rays but invisible in deeper optical and infrared observations (including from the Hubble Space Telescope).
- JWST’s Role: With the JWST’s infrared capabilities, the nature of LID-568 was uncovered, revealing its exotic and unusual characteristics.
LID-568: A Low-Mass Supermassive Black Hole
- Age: LID-568 is a low-mass supermassive black hole that existed just 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang (equivalent to the universe being around 8 years old).
- Exceptional Feeding Rate: The black hole was feeding at a rate nearly 40 times greater than the expected upper limit for black hole accretion (called the Eddington limit).
Eddington Limit and Super-Eddington Accretion
- Eddington Limit: This is the maximum rate at which a black hole can accrete matter, governed by radiation pressure that counters gravity. When this limit is exceeded, it’s known as super-Eddington accretion.
- LID-568’s Behaviour: LID-568 falls into the category of super-Eddington accretion, exceeding the Eddington limit by a factor of 40. It is much farther away than previous examples of super-Eddington black holes.
Next Steps for Research
- Ongoing Observations: Researchers plan to study other galaxies and black holes to understand how common this super-Eddington accretion behaviour is, and how long black holes can continue to feed at this rapid rate.
- Testing Theories: The team will also test other potential mechanisms for super-Eddington feeding, such as geometrically thick accretion disks, black hole jets, and black hole mergers.
Broader Implications
- Understanding Early Universe: This discovery could provide vital clues into the formation and growth of supermassive black holes in the early universe, offering new insights into cosmic evolution.
- Future Research: Follow-up observations, particularly with JWST, will help refine theories about black hole behaviour and growth patterns, contributing to a better understanding of the origins and development of supermassive black holes.
