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First black hole from cosmic dawn is gas-shrouded and reddened

Quantum ZeitgeistAugust 12, 20265 min read

The physical processes that led to the formation of billion-solar-mass black holes within the first 700 million years of cosmic time, a period known as cosmic dawn, remain a puzzle. A source 660 million years after the Big Bang exhibits singular properties, including a large hydrogen Balmer break and broad multi-peaked Hβ emission.

Researchers have identified a black hole existing 660 million years after the Big Bang, a period known as cosmic dawn. This black hole differs from previously observed distant objects because it is significantly gas-enshrouded and reddened, suggesting it is actively feeding within a dense cloud of gas and dust. The paper reports unique properties including a large hydrogen Balmer break and broad multi-peaked emission, modeling the source as an enshrouded black hole growing through super-Eddington accretion. This discovery, the result of work by a team of researchers, may provide direct evidence for a theoretical mechanism for rapid black hole growth. The Balmer break…

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