Astronomers note that the holes grew more aggressively, the pair of galaxies that host them
FORMATION OF THE UNIVERSE. According to this new study very young black holes grew more aggressively, the pair of galaxies that host them (Foto: NASA / Chandra )
A team of astronomers from the University of Michigan (UM) found the first direct evidence that giant black holes were common in the early universe.
The experts turned to Chandra X-ray of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which detects very faint objects at great distances, and led the team to a selected portion of the sky for six weeks.
According to research published this week in the journal Nature, very young black holes grew more aggressively, the pair of galaxies that host them.
By combining optical and infrared images obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope from NASA, the new Chandra data enabled the astronomers find black holes in 200 distant galaxies when the universe was between 800 million and 900 million years old.
"We had reason to expect that black holes exist in many of the earliest galaxies which until now had eluded our searches," said Marta Volonteri, UM astronomer and co-author of the study.
"By comparing the Chandra data with theoretical models, the match was amazing," said the astronomer.
The experts turned to Chandra X-ray of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which detects very faint objects at great distances, and led the team to a selected portion of the sky for six weeks.
According to research published this week in the journal Nature, very young black holes grew more aggressively, the pair of galaxies that host them.
By combining optical and infrared images obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope from NASA, the new Chandra data enabled the astronomers find black holes in 200 distant galaxies when the universe was between 800 million and 900 million years old.
"We had reason to expect that black holes exist in many of the earliest galaxies which until now had eluded our searches," said Marta Volonteri, UM astronomer and co-author of the study.
"By comparing the Chandra data with theoretical models, the match was amazing," said the astronomer.
Because black holes are almost all wrapped in thick clouds of gas and dust, often do not detect optical telescopes, but x-rays allows the study.
The large growth means that black holes are related to quasars, bright objects and rare materials strengthened with falling into supermassive black holes giants.
The investigation determined that between 30 and 100% of distant galaxies contain supermassive black holes grow giant.
The large growth means that black holes are related to quasars, bright objects and rare materials strengthened with falling into supermassive black holes giants.
The investigation determined that between 30 and 100% of distant galaxies contain supermassive black holes grow giant.
Volonteri explained that 'the extrapolation of these results from the small field of sky observed the entire sky' to estimate that there are at least 30 million super-giant black holes in the universe.
"This is a factor 10 000 times the estimated number of quasars in the early universe," he said.
"We seem to have found a whole new children's population of black holes," noted study co-author Kevin Schawinski of Yale University.
Scientists had expected to have a population of black holes babies in the early universe, but so far not been observed.
Detailed calculations show that the total growth of black holes observed by the team is about a hundred times greater than most recent estimates.
"Until now we had no idea what made black holes in these early galaxies, or even exist. Now we know they are there and are growing momentum," said Ezequiel Treister of the University of Hawaii and author of the study.
While there is evidence of parallel growth of black holes and galaxies at closer distances, the new Chandra results show that the connection starts earlier than previously thought, perhaps since the origin of both.
"It is thought that in the present universe, black holes and galaxies grow in a symbiotic manner, and we have shown that this co-dependent relationship has existed since the early days," said Priya Natarajan, coauthor of Yale University.
"This is a factor 10 000 times the estimated number of quasars in the early universe," he said.
"We seem to have found a whole new children's population of black holes," noted study co-author Kevin Schawinski of Yale University.
Scientists had expected to have a population of black holes babies in the early universe, but so far not been observed.
Detailed calculations show that the total growth of black holes observed by the team is about a hundred times greater than most recent estimates.
"Until now we had no idea what made black holes in these early galaxies, or even exist. Now we know they are there and are growing momentum," said Ezequiel Treister of the University of Hawaii and author of the study.
While there is evidence of parallel growth of black holes and galaxies at closer distances, the new Chandra results show that the connection starts earlier than previously thought, perhaps since the origin of both.
"It is thought that in the present universe, black holes and galaxies grow in a symbiotic manner, and we have shown that this co-dependent relationship has existed since the early days," said Priya Natarajan, coauthor of Yale University.
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