New Insights into Infant Black Holes from JADES Survey

Recent findings from the JADES survey reveal a diverse population of infant black holes at redshifts between 4 and 11, highlighting their potential role in the early universe. The study, titled "JADES. The diverse population of infant Black Holes at 4<z<11: merging, tiny, poor, but mighty," presents 12 new active galactic nuclei (AGN) identified through the detection of a Broad Line Region in H-alpha emissions. This research adds to previously identified AGN, including one at redshift 10.6.

The JADES survey's depth and the application of three different spectral resolutions allowed researchers to explore lower mass regimes than previous studies. Notably, some observations suggest the presence of merging black holes, with inferred masses ranging from 4 x 10^5 to 8 x 10^7 solar masses. These findings are significant as they probe the expected range for Direct Collapse Black Holes (DCBHs).

The study also indicates that the inferred AGN bolometric luminosities, approximately between 10^44 and 10^45 erg/s, imply that most black holes are accreting at rates less than half of the Eddington limit. However, smaller black holes, with masses around 10^6 solar masses, tend to accrete at or above the Eddington rate.

Interestingly, these early black holes appear to be over-massive relative to their host galaxies when compared to the local M_BH-Mstar relation, suggesting a unique evolutionary path. The research indicates that about 10% of broad line AGN in the redshift range of 4 to 6 contribute significantly to the reionization of the universe.

This study, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics, emphasizes the importance of understanding black hole formation and growth in the context of cosmic evolution. For further details, the full paper can be accessed here.