Forming the First Massive Black Holes

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The existence of supermassive black holes within the first billion years after the big bang is a puzzle. This project will explore one proposed pathway to their formation. The project will use computer modeling to simulate the formation of smaller black holes from the direct collapse of cold gas clouds in the early universe and will trace the evolution of these seed black holes into the larger supermassive black holes. The project will incorporate the interaction of radiation with the matter in the early universe in their models and will follow the dynamics of early dark matter halos to the epoch of reionization. The models will be used to determine observational signatures of this process so that it can be tested with future observations. The project will support a post-baccalaureate student from the Columbia Bridge program within their research and will restructure a graduate course on computational modeling.The project will use ENZO, a high-resolution 3D hydrodynamic code that incorporates radiative transfer, to model the fragmentation and collapse of atomic-cooling halos into supermassive stars or directly into seed black holes. The project will include the effects of radiative feedback into the growth and collapse of cold gas clouds within dark matter halos. The results of their simulations will be used to make predictions for electromagnetic signatures of this black-hole seed scenario that will inform future observations. The project team will recruit a post-baccalaureate student from the Columbia Bridge program, who will be directly included in the research and who will receive mentoring by the principal investigators. One of the investigators will modify his existing graduate course in astrophysical computational modeling to better include students with a wide variation in computational preparation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.