The findings indicate that some black holes likely formed from the collapse of massive, pristine stars during the first billion years after the Big Bang.

A new study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters reveals that scientists have identified a greater number of black holes in the early universe than previously thought, shedding light on the formation of these cosmic giants shortly after the Big Bang.

The research, led by astronomers from Stockholm University, utilised NASA's Hubble Space Telescope to survey faint galaxies that existed when the universe was only a few percent of its current age.

Black holes are known to play a crucial role in galaxy evolution, yet their origins remain a mystery.

The study's co-author, Alice Young, a PhD student at Stockholm University, noted that many of these early black holes appear to be more massive than expected for such an early time in cosmic history.

This suggests they either formed with significant mass or grew rapidly through accretion of surrounding material.

To investigate black hole formation mechanisms, the research team re-photographed initial observations taken by Hubble several years earlier. They measured variations in galaxy brightness—indicators of black hole presence—resulting in the identification of more black holes than previous methods had revealed.

The findings indicate that some black holes likely formed from the collapse of massive, pristine stars during the first billion years after the Big Bang. These early stars were unique, as later generations became enriched with elements from previous stellar explosions.

Other potential formation scenarios include collapsing gas clouds and mergers of stars within massive clusters. Additionally, primordial black holes may have formed through speculative mechanisms in the universe's infancy.

Matthew Hayes, lead author and astronomer at Stockholm University, emphasized that understanding how early black holes formed is essential for piecing together the puzzle of galaxy evolution.

With this new data, researchers can refine models of how galaxies and their central black holes evolve together.

In tandem with these findings, astronomers are using the James Webb Space Telescope to further explore galactic black holes formed soon after the Big Bang, aiming to uncover their masses and locations in the early universe.

This ongoing research is pivotal for unraveling the mysteries surrounding black hole formation and their influence on galaxy development.

Source: indiatoday