Black holes can suppress star formation in nearby galaxies: Study
Scientists have discovered that supermassive black holes can actually suppress or repress very recent star formation in nearby galaxies.
Using the James Webb Space Telescope, they focused on a quasar called J0100+2802, powered by a black hole 12 billion times bigger than our Sun, from when the universe was less than a billion years old.
Quasars shine with mind-blowing energy
Quasars shine with mind-blowing energy—hundreds of trillions of times brighter than the Sun—which can dissociate molecular hydrogen and keep it from turning into stars.
Around J0100+2802, researchers saw fewer signs of star formation compared to other distant galaxies.
Research helps us understand black holes' and galaxies' interaction
The study suggests these active black holes act like "An active supermassive black hole is like a hungry predator dominating the ecosystem. ", shaping how galaxies grow and evolve.
As lead researcher Yongda Zhu put it, this helps us understand how giant black holes and their home galaxies interact.
The team plans more research to see just how common this effect is—and what it means for the origins of galaxies like our own Milky Way.