Supermassive black hole evolution

In summary, the paper discusses the evolution of supermassive black holes and the questions that arise regarding the age of the universe and the time for formation of such objects. The hierarchical theory of SMBH formation has faced criticism, leading to the increasing acceptance of the direct collapse black hole hypothesis. The paper presents evidence supporting this idea and highlights its importance as an unsolved problem in cosmology. It is also worth noting that this is an invited review article.
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Chronos
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This paper; http://arxiv.org/abs/1601.05473, The Early Growth of the First Black Holes discusses the evolution of supermassive massive black holes [SMBH] as inferred from observations of high z quasars: which has provoked questions about the putatitve age of the universe and the time it allows for formation of such objects. The hierarchical theory of SMBH formation has come under increasing fire for reasons including the apparent need for super eddington accretion rates and dissipative effects expected from primordial stars in the early universe. As a consequence, the direct collapse black hole [DCBH] hypothesis has gained increasing traction in the cosmology community. The paper offers further evidence consistent with this idea.
 
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It's a key unsolved problem and it's worth noting that this is an invited review article.
 

1. What is a supermassive black hole?

A supermassive black hole is a region in space with an extremely strong gravitational pull, caused by the collapse of a massive star. It is called "supermassive" because it can have a mass equivalent to billions of suns.

2. How do supermassive black holes evolve?

Supermassive black holes evolve through a process of accretion, where they attract and consume matter from surrounding objects such as stars, gas, and dust. As they consume more matter, their size and gravitational pull increases.

3. How do scientists study the evolution of supermassive black holes?

Scientists use a variety of techniques to study the evolution of supermassive black holes, including observing the movements of stars and gas near the black hole, analyzing the radiation emitted from the accretion disk, and studying the gravitational effects on surrounding objects.

4. Can supermassive black holes die?

Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that supermassive black holes can die. They are thought to continue growing and evolving as long as there is matter available for them to consume.

5. Are supermassive black holes dangerous to Earth?

Supermassive black holes that are located far from Earth do not pose a direct danger to our planet. However, if a supermassive black hole were to suddenly appear near Earth, its strong gravitational pull could potentially disrupt the orbits of planets and other objects in our solar system.

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