Monster black holes found at the centers of galaxies are a mystery, but new observations suggest that some may have grown rapidly through massive accretion of matter over short periods. Researchers studied the dim and dusty galaxy LID-568 using the JWST observatory, revealing its central black hole is consuming large quantities of matter.
The study indicates that early black holes underwent a “feeding frenzy” phase, allowing them to grow from small seed black holes into supermassive ones in a brief time frame. Typically, such rapid growth seems unlikely due to the small size of seed black holes. However, researchers have discovered young black holes with evidence of an early growth spurt.
The discovery provides an alternative explanation for how supermassive black holes formed both early and abundantly. A key observation is that the luminosity of LID-568’s central black hole exceeds the Eddington limit, indicating it could be accreting at a rate 40 times higher than expected. This finding resolves some puzzles about how these massive black holes developed.
However, further research is needed to confirm this discovery and understand its implications. The study suggests that more observations of such objects are necessary to determine their frequency and longevity. Overall, this breakthrough offers new insights into the rapid growth of supermassive black holes in the early universe.
Source: https://physics.aps.org/articles/v17/180