James Webb Space Telescope survey reveals fewer supermassive black holes than presumed. A University of Kansas survey of a swath of the cosmos using the James Webb Space Telescope has revealed active galactic nuclei — supermassive black holes that are rapidly increasing in size — are rarer than m
at the middle, AGN are more spectacular upheavals actively drawing in gases and showing a luminosity absent from typical black holes.
“The results looked completely different from what I had anticipated, leading to my first major surprise,” Kirkpatrick said. “One significant revelation was the scarcity of rapidly growing supermassive black holes. This finding prompted questions about the whereabouts of these objects. As it turns out, these black holes are likely growing at a slower pace than previously believed, which is intriguing, considering the galaxies I examined resemble ourfrom the past.
“The study’s findings suggest that these black holes are not growing rapidly, absorbing limited material, and perhaps not significantly impacting their host galaxies,” she said. “This discovery opens up a whole new perspective on black-hole growth since our current understanding is largely based on the most massive black holes in the biggest galaxies, which have significant effects on their hosts, but the smaller black holes in these galaxies likely do not.
According to Kirkpatrick, the work changes understanding of how galaxies grow, particularly concerning the Milky Way.
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