A recent study sheds light on how supermassive black holes, each with billions of times the mass of our Sun, formed so quickly in the first billion years after the Big Bang.

The team, led by researchers from the National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) in Italy, analyzed 21 of the most distant quasars ever discovered. Quasars have been observed in the X-ray spectrum by the XMM-Newton and Chandra space telescopes. The findings suggest that the supermassive black holes at the center of these quasars reached extraordinary sizes through extremely rapid and intense accretion, offering a plausible explanation for their early existence in the universe.

Understanding quasars and their importance

Quasars are incredibly bright and distant active galaxies supported by central supermassive black holes, also known as active galactic nuclei.

These black holes emit tremendous amounts of energy as they attract matter. The quasars examined in this study are among the oldest known objects, dating back to times when the universe was less than a billion years old. By analyzing the X-ray emission of these quasars, researchers discovered the unexpected behavior of supermassive black holes at their centers.

Experts have discovered a connection between the shape of X-ray radiation and the speed of the winds of matter emitted by quasars. This relationship relates the wind speed, which reaches thousands of kilometers per second, to the temperature of the gas in the corona, the region closest to the X-ray-emitting black hole.

Testing the limits of physics

The study found that quasars with lower-energy X-rays, indicating lower temperatures in the corona, exhibit faster winds. This suggests a phase of very rapid growth that exceeded the physical limit for matter accumulation, known as the Eddington limit. This stage is called “super Eddington”. In contrast, quasars with higher-energy X-rays tended to have slower winds.

“Our study shows that the supermassive black holes at the center of the first quasars formed in the first billion years of the universe may have increased their mass very rapidly, pushing the boundaries of physics,” said lead author Alessia Tortosa. of study. Research and INAF researcher in Rome.

“Discovering this connection between X-rays and winds is crucial to understanding how such massive black holes can form in such a short time, thus providing a concrete clue towards solving one of the greatest mysteries of modern astrophysics.”

Observing quasars from a cosmic star

The results were obtained mainly by analyzing data collected by the European Space Agency’s XMM-Newton space telescope, which provided approximately 700 hours of quasar observations. Most of this data, collected between 2021 and 2023 as part of the multi-year XMM-Newton Legacy Program, falls within the scope of the HYPERION project.

The HYPERION project, led by INAF researcher Luca Zappacosta in Rome, aims to study extremely bright quasars during the cosmic birth of the universe. A large observation campaign supported by INAF funding has enabled advanced studies of the early evolutionary dynamics of the structures of the universe.

“In the HYPERION program we focused on two key factors: on the one hand, the careful selection of quasars to observe, the selection of titans that accumulate as much mass as possible, and on the other hand, the selection of quasars. “There was no in-depth examination of its properties using it,” he said.

“We hit the jackpot! Our results are truly unexpected and all point to a super-Eddington growth mechanism for black holes.”

Implications for future space missions

This study provides valuable information for future X-ray missions such as ATHENA (ESA), AXIS and Lynx (NASA), which are planned to be launched between 2030 and 2040.

The results will help develop the next generation of observation instruments and develop better strategies for studying black holes and active galactic nuclei in more distant cosmic epochs in X-rays. Understanding these elements is crucial to unraveling the formation of the first galactic structures in the early universe.

Providing a plausible explanation for the rapid growth of the first supermassive black holes, this research addresses one of the greatest mysteries in modern astrophysics. This opens new ways to investigate how such massive entities could form so quickly after the Big Bang, improving our understanding of the earliest stages of the universe. The study was published in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.