NASA's Webb Finds Possible 'Direct Collapse' Black Hole
10 months ago
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- #webb-telescope
- #black-hole
- NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope data reveals an unusual object nicknamed the Infinity Galaxy, displaying two compact, red nuclei with surrounding rings forming an infinity symbol.
- The Infinity Galaxy likely formed from a head-on collision of two disk galaxies and hosts an active, supermassive black hole located between the two nuclei.
- Researchers propose the black hole formed via direct collapse of a gas cloud, a process that could explain massive black holes in the early universe.
- Two main theories exist for supermassive black hole formation: 'light seeds' (merging small black holes) and 'heavy seeds' (direct collapse of gas clouds).
- The Infinity Galaxy's black hole is surrounded by ionized gas, and its velocity matches the gas, supporting the direct collapse theory.
- Follow-up observations confirmed the presence of ionized gas between the nuclei and the black hole's central position, strengthening the case for a newborn black hole.
- The system also contains two additional active supermassive black holes in the galaxy nuclei, making it a rare triple-black-hole system.
- While not definitive, the evidence suggests a direct collapse black hole, with competing explanations like a runaway black hole or third galaxy being less likely.