This is how supermassive black holes might have formed
What's the story
A new theoretical study by Jonathan Tan, an astrophysicist at the University of Virginia, has proposed a comprehensive model for the formation of supermassive black holes. These massive entities are believed to exist in the centers of most large galaxies, including our own Milky Way. The proposed model, dubbed "Pop III.1," suggests that all supermassive black holes are remnants of the first-ever stars in the universe.
Stellar evolution
What are 'Pop III.1' stars?
The "Population III.1" stars, as proposed by Tan's model, were the first stars in the universe to grow to enormous sizes due to energy from dark matter annihilation. These massive stars are believed to be the progenitors of supermassive black holes. The theory has also predicted many of the recent findings made by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which has detected a number of distant black holes dating back to the universe's earliest epochs.
Ionization impact
Flash ionization and cosmological puzzles
In his paper, "Flash Ionization of the Early Universe by Pop III.1 Supermassive Stars," Tan discusses another prediction of the "Pop III.1" model that could provide insights into the universe's origins. He suggests that supermassive star progenitors of black holes rapidly ionized hydrogen gas in the universe, announcing their birth with bright flashes filling all space. This early phase of ionization could help solve recent cosmological puzzles like the 'Hubble Tension,' 'Dynamic Dark Energy,' and preference for 'Negative Neutrino Masses.'
Expert endorsement
Endorsement from experts
Richard Ellis, a renowned observational cosmologist and professor of astrophysics at University College London, has praised Tan's study. He said, "Professor Tan has developed an elegant model that could explain a two-stage process of stellar birth and ionization in the early universe." This endorsement further highlights the potential significance of the "Pop III.1" model in understanding cosmic history.