Supersonic Gas Streams Enhance the Formation of Massive Black Holes in the Early Universe

TL;DR

This paper uses numerical simulations to show that supersonic gas streams in the early universe facilitate the rapid formation of massive black hole seeds from primordial gas clouds, potentially explaining the origin of supermassive black holes.

Contribution

It demonstrates how realistic cosmological conditions and supersonic gas motions promote early massive black hole formation, a novel insight into their origins.

Findings

Supersonic gas motions delay early gas cloud formation.

Rapid gas condensation occurs in proto-galactic halos.

Protostars grow to 34,000 solar masses before collapsing into black holes.

Abstract

The origin of super-massive black holes in the early universe remains poorly understood.Gravitational collapse of a massive primordial gas cloud is a promising initial process,but theoretical studies have difficulty growing the black hole fast enough.We report numerical simulations of early black hole formation starting from realistic cosmological conditions.Supersonic gas motions left over from the Big Bang prevent early gas cloud formation until rapid gas condensation is triggered in a proto-galactic halo. A protostar is formed in the dense, turbulent gas cloud, and it grows by sporadic mass accretion until it acquires 34,000 solar masses.The massive star ends its life with a catastrophic collapse to leave a black hole -- a promising seed for the formation of a monstrous black hole.