Powered by supermassive black holes’: James Webb Telescope discovers an ancient quasar living alone in the universe
Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Lonely Quasars Discovered
A recent study led by MIT scientists has revealed the existence of ancient quasars that appear to drift alone in the early universe, challenging previous assumptions about their formation.
Quasar Characteristics
Quasars are incredibly bright objects found at the centres of galaxies, powered by active supermassive black holes that consume surrounding gas and dust, releasing vast amounts of energy.
Formation Timeline
These quasars are believed to have formed as early as 100 million years after the Big Bang, originating from dense regions of primordial matter.
Unexpected Observations
The study utilized NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to examine the cosmic environment of five ancient quasars, revealing that some reside in sparsely populated regions with few neighbouring galaxies.
Study Findings
The researchers discovered that while some quasars are surrounded by clusters of over 50 galaxies, five of them were located in nearly empty areas, raising questions about their early growth.
Mystery of Growth
Scientists are puzzled by how these solitary quasars developed significant mass without a substantial source of surrounding matter to fuel their supermassive black holes.
Potential Explanations
The team posits that the quasars may be enveloped by galaxies obscured by dust, which would render them invisible in current observations.
Significance of the Study
The findings, published in the Astrophysical Journal, highlight the need for further research to understand how these quasars could have attained such size so quickly in the early universe, as they are estimated to be over 13 billion years old and could have formed shortly after the Big Bang.