Astronomy Colloquium Series

Childhood Obesity Among Black Holes - on The Early Growth of Supermassive Black Holes and Their Host Galaxies


Supermassive black holes, with masses reaching ten billions solar masses, are found in the centers of most galaxies, and their growth and energy release mechanisms appear to be closely linked to the galaxies that host them, making them central to our understanding of galaxy evolution. However, the existence of these extreme systems less than a billion years after the Big Bang, with so little time to form and grow, poses major challenges to our understanding of their formation and early growth. I will present insights from continuous multi-wavelength observational efforts to address these questions, by covering a broad range of time scales, physical scales, and matter phases of the first generation of supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. New ALMA data confirms high SFRs and gas content in the host galaxies, and moreover a high fraction of companion, interacting galaxies, separated by ~10-50 kpc. This clearly supportד the idea that the first generation of luminous SMBHs grew in overdense environments, and that major mergers are important drivers for rapid early SMBH and host galaxy growth. I will briefly describe how upcoming facilities may identify the lower-mass counterparts of these rare massive quasars, and thus resolve the earliest phases of BH formation and growth.



Please note: Should you require any reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access and opportunity related to this event please contact Stacy Tiburzi at 734-764-3440 or stibu@umich.edu.