Shining in the Dark: the Spectral Evolution of the First Black Holes

TL;DR

This study models the spectral evolution of early massive black hole seeds, predicting their infrared and X-ray signatures, and assesses their detectability with upcoming telescopes like JWST and ATHENA, providing constraints on their cosmic density.

Contribution

It combines radiation-hydrodynamic and spectral synthesis simulations to predict observable signatures of early black hole seeds under different accretion modes.

Findings

Detectable infrared and X-ray signals up to high redshifts.

Predicted upper limits on black hole mass density at high redshift.

Potential for existing deep X-ray surveys to have already observed these objects.

Abstract

Massive Black Hole (MBH) seeds at redshift $z \gtrsim 10$ are now thought to be key ingredients to explain the presence of the super-massive ($10^{9-10} \, \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$) black holes in place $ < 1 \, \mathrm{Gyr}$ after the Big Bang. Once formed, massive seeds grow and emit copious amounts of radiation by accreting the left-over halo gas; their spectrum can then provide crucial information on their evolution. By combining radiation-hydrodynamic and spectral synthesis codes, we simulate the time-evolving spectrum emerging from the host halo of a MBH seed with initial mass $10^5 \, \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$, assuming both standard Eddington-limited accretion, or slim accretion disks, appropriate for super-Eddington flows. The emission occurs predominantly in the observed infrared-submm ($1-1000 \, \mathrm{\mu m}$) and X-ray ($0.1 - 100 \, \mathrm{keV}$) bands. Such signal should be easily detectable by JWST around $\sim 1 \, \mathrm{\mu m}$ up to $z \sim 25$, and by ATHENA (between $0.1$ and $10 \, \mathrm{keV}$, up to $z \sim 15$). Ultra-deep X-ray surveys like the Chandra Deep Field South could have already detected these systems up to $z \sim 15$. Based on this, we provide an upper limit for the $z \gtrsim 6$ MBH mass density of $\rho_{\bullet} \lesssim 2.5 \times 10^{2} \, \mathrm{M_{\odot} \, Mpc^{-3}}$ assuming standard Eddington-limited accretion. If accretion occurs in the slim disk mode the limits are much weaker, $\rho_{\bullet} \lesssim 7.6 \times 10^{3} \, \mathrm{M_{\odot} \, Mpc^{-3}}$ in the most constraining case.