First spectroscopic variability in a z~7 LRD shows rapid changes in both narrow and broad line regions, implying direct ionization from the central source to surrounding nebular gas.
A CEERS Discovery of an Accreting Supermassive Black Hole 570 Myr after the Big Bang: Identifying a Progenitor of Massive z > 6 Quasars
10 Pith papers cite this work, alongside 21 external citations. Polarity classification is still indexing.
10
Pith papers citing it
21
external citations · Pith
abstract
We report the discovery of an accreting supermassive black hole at z=8.679, in CEERS_1019, a galaxy previously discovered via a Ly$\alpha$-break by Hubble and with a Ly$\alpha$ redshift from Keck. As part of the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) survey, we observed this source with JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy, MIRI and NIRCam imaging, and NIRCam/WFSS slitless spectroscopy. The NIRSpec spectra uncover many emission lines, and the strong [O III] emission line confirms the ground-based Ly$\alpha$ redshift. We detect a significant broad (FWHM~1200 km/s) component in the H$\beta$ emission line, which we conclude originates in the broad-line region of an active galactic nucleus (AGN), as the lack of a broad component in the forbidden lines rejects an outflow origin. This hypothesis is supported by the presence of high-ionization lines, as well as a spatial point-source component embedded within a smoother surface brightness profile. The mass of the black hole is log($M_{BH}/M_{\odot})=6.95{\pm}0.37$, and we estimate that it is accreting at 1.2 ($\pm$0.5) x the Eddington limit. The 1-8 $\mu$m photometric spectral energy distribution (SED) from NIRCam and MIRI shows a continuum dominated by starlight and constrains the host galaxy to be massive (log M/M$_{\odot}$~9.5) and highly star-forming (SFR~30 M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$). Ratios of the strong emission lines show that the gas in this galaxy is metal-poor (Z/Z$_{\odot}$~0.1), dense (n$_{e}$~10$^{3}$ cm$^{-3}$), and highly ionized (log U~-2.1), consistent with the general galaxy population observed with JWST at high redshifts. We use this presently highest-redshift AGN discovery to place constraints on black hole seeding models and find that a combination of either super-Eddington accretion from stellar seeds or Eddington accretion from massive black hole seeds is required to form this object by the observed epoch.
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2026 10representative citing papers
JWST MIRI observations of 634 galaxies at 0.2<z<2 yield IR luminosity functions with faint-end slope α≈0.147, implying lower dust-obscured SFRD than previous ALMA/Herschel/Spitzer studies.
Numerical simulations find that black-hole wandering in FDM soliton cores produces intermittent accretion, limiting durable boosts except for ~10^7 solar mass seeds in low-sound-speed gas.
JWST UV luminosity function calibration of reionization history bounds primordial magnetic fields to √<B²> < 0.27 nG (n_B=-2) and < 0.18 nG (n_B=2) at 95% CL by ruling out double reionization at z≈24.
Primordial black holes and heavy astrophysical seeds with super-Eddington accretion reproduce JWST-observed black hole masses, stellar masses, and low metallicities at z~7-10, while light seeds with Eddington-limited accretion are ruled out; PBHs uniquely show a decreasing black hole-to-stellar mass
Deep JWST spectroscopy of Maisie's Galaxy at z=11.4 reveals moderate star formation, metallicity, and ionization consistent with a typical galaxy on the early star-formation main sequence rather than an extreme source.
A large collaboration compiles and compares merger rate predictions for massive black holes across multiple galaxy formation models to forecast LISA detections and quantify uncertainties.
Super-Eddington accretion boosts predicted LISA detections of high-redshift black hole binaries to ~64 per year while dropping ET detections to ~4 per year, compared to ~32 and ~64 under Eddington-limited growth.
Axion EDE model fitted to Planck/ACT/SPT CMB, DESI BAO, and JWST UV luminosity function data yields H0 = 71.58 ± 1.05 km s^{-1} Mpc^{-1}, reduces H0 tension to 1.0 sigma, and improves Δχ^{2}_tot = -18.26 over Λ CDM.
High-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations find that major mergers do not trigger sustained super-Eddington black hole accretion in low-mass halos when feedback is included; episodes occur only immediately after seeding or with feedback disabled.
citing papers explorer
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The GlimmIr: Spectroscopic Variability in a z~7 LRD Indicates Rapid Changes in Both the Narrow and Broad Line Regions
First spectroscopic variability in a z~7 LRD shows rapid changes in both narrow and broad line regions, implying direct ionization from the central source to surrounding nebular gas.
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MEGA and SMILES Find Fewer Dusty Galaxies than Expected at Cosmic Noon
JWST MIRI observations of 634 galaxies at 0.2<z<2 yield IR luminosity functions with faint-end slope α≈0.147, implying lower dust-obscured SFRD than previous ALMA/Herschel/Spitzer studies.
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Variability in Supermassive Black-Hole Accretion Rates in Fuzzy Dark Matter Cores due to Black-Hole Wandering
Numerical simulations find that black-hole wandering in FDM soliton cores produces intermittent accretion, limiting durable boosts except for ~10^7 solar mass seeds in low-sound-speed gas.
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JWST Constraints on Primordial Magnetic Fields
JWST UV luminosity function calibration of reionization history bounds primordial magnetic fields to √<B²> < 0.27 nG (n_B=-2) and < 0.18 nG (n_B=2) at 95% CL by ruling out double reionization at z≈24.
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Light, heavy, primordial: exploring the diversity of black hole seeding and growth mechanisms in the JWST era
Primordial black holes and heavy astrophysical seeds with super-Eddington accretion reproduce JWST-observed black hole masses, stellar masses, and low metallicities at z~7-10, while light seeds with Eddington-limited accretion are ruled out; PBHs uniquely show a decreasing black hole-to-stellar mass
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Deep Spectroscopic Follow-Up of Maisie's Galaxy -- A Typical Galaxy in the Early Universe
Deep JWST spectroscopy of Maisie's Galaxy at z=11.4 reveals moderate star formation, metallicity, and ionization consistent with a typical galaxy on the early star-formation main sequence rather than an extreme source.
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The LISA Astrophysics MBHcatalogues Project: A comparison of predictions of simulated massive black hole binaries
A large collaboration compiles and compares merger rate predictions for massive black holes across multiple galaxy formation models to forecast LISA detections and quantify uncertainties.
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Gravitational Waves from the Cosmic Dawn: Tracing Cosmic Black Hole Binaries with ET, LGWA and LISA
Super-Eddington accretion boosts predicted LISA detections of high-redshift black hole binaries to ~64 per year while dropping ET detections to ~4 per year, compared to ~32 and ~64 under Eddington-limited growth.
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Resolving the Hubble Tension in the Early Dark Energy Framework with JWST and DESI Data
Axion EDE model fitted to Planck/ACT/SPT CMB, DESI BAO, and JWST UV luminosity function data yields H0 = 71.58 ± 1.05 km s^{-1} Mpc^{-1}, reduces H0 tension to 1.0 sigma, and improves Δχ^{2}_tot = -18.26 over Λ CDM.
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The role of major mergers in triggering super-Eddington accretion
High-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations find that major mergers do not trigger sustained super-Eddington black hole accretion in low-mass halos when feedback is included; episodes occur only immediately after seeding or with feedback disabled.