New research using Nasa's powerful James Webb Space Telescope has shed light on how ancient black holes grew so massive and so rapidly that they surpassed the galaxies around them.
Led by a team of astronomers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, the study focused on the centres of galaxies known as quasars.
Quasars are extremely bright because they are powered by supermassive black holes, the largest type of a black hole that is more than 100,000 times the mass of the Sun.
A supermassive black hole's gravitational pull is so strong that it devours everything nearby, including light. The more it consumes, the brighter that quasar becomes.
But this intense light makes it difficult for scientists to see the stars in the surrounding galaxy.
But with the advanced imaging capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope, MIT researchers were able to distinguish the faint light from stars around the black holes in some ancient quasars, dating back more than 13 billion years.
Using this data, the team found that these ancient supermassive black holes were much larger compared to the size of their surrounding galaxies than black holes today.
The study, published in the Astrophysical Journal, suggests that ancient black holes grew significantly faster than their host galaxies, with the black hole-to-galaxy mass ratio of around 1:10 compared to a modern-day ratio of 1:1,000.
“These black holes are billions of times more massive than the Sun, at a time when the universe is still in its infancy,” said Anna-Christina Eilers, co-author of the study.
“Our results imply that, in the early universe, supermassive black holes might have gained their mass before their host galaxies did and the initial black hole seeds could have been more massive than today.”
What came first: galaxy or black hole?
The researchers were able to gather this data using measurements of each quasar's light in different wavelengths.
They fed the numbers into a model that showed how much of that light was likely to come from the source itself or the galaxy's surroundings, such as scattered stars.
“This tells us something about what grows first: is it the black hole that grows first, and then the galaxy catches up? Or is the galaxy and its stars that first grow, and they dominate and regulate the black hole’s growth?” Ms Eilers said.
“We see that black holes in the early universe seem to be growing faster than their host galaxies. That is tentative evidence that the initial black hole seeds could have been more massive back then.”
Black holes may have boosted galaxy formation
A different study in February by the Johns Hopkins University focused on how black holes may have accelerated the birth of stars and supercharged galaxy formation.
The researchers, who also used the James Webb Space Telescope to make the observations, said distant galaxies appeared much brighter than they had predicted and revealed unusually high numbers of young stars and supermassive black holes.
It was always previously believed that black holes formed only after the collapse of enormous stars, with galaxies forming after the first stars lit up the early universe.
But the research suggests that black holes and galaxies may have coexisted and influenced each other during the first 100 million years.
“The big question is, what were our beginnings? The Sun is one star in 100 billion in the Milky Way galaxy, and there's a massive black hole sitting in the middle, too. What's the connection between the two?” said Joseph Silk, a professor in the department of physics and astronomy at Johns Hopkins University.
“Within a year we'll have so much better data, and a lot of our questions will begin to get answers.”
New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15
New Zealand 15
Tries: Laumape, J Barrett
Conversions: B Barrett
Penalties: B Barrett
British & Irish Lions 15
Penalties: Farrell (4), Daly
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
English Premiership semi-finals
Saracens 57
Wasps 33
Exeter Chiefs 36
Newcastle Falcons 5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Read more about the coronavirus
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
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Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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The Lowdown
Us
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseqph, Evan Alex and Elisabeth Moss
Rating: 4/5
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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