Enhanced direct collapse due to Lyman alpha feedback

Abstract

We assess the impact of trapped Lyman alpha cooling radiation on the formation of direct collapse black holes (DCBHs). We apply a one-zone chemical and thermal evolution model, accounting for the photodetachment of H- ions, precursors to the key coolant H2, by Lyman alpha photons produced during the collapse of a cloud of primordial gas in an atomic cooling halo at high redshift. We find that photodetachment of H- by trapped Lyman alpha photons may lower the level of the H2-dissociating background radiation field required for DCBH formation substantially, dropping the critical flux by up to a factor of a few. This translates into a potentially large increase in the expected number density of DCBHs in the early Universe, and supports the view that DCBHs may be the seeds for the BHs residing in the centers of a significant fraction of galaxies today. We find that detachment of H- by Lyman alpha has the strongest impact on the critical flux for the relatively high background radiation temperatures expected to characterize the emission from young, hot stars in the early Universe. This lends support to the DCBH origin of the highest redshift quasars.

7 pages, 6 figures, 1 table; recommended by editor for publication in A&A

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• SILVERRUSH. III. Deep Optical and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Lya and UV-Nebular Lines of Bright Lya Emitters at z=6-7
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• Induced metal-free star formation around a massive black hole seed
• Suppression of H2-cooling in protogalaxies aided by trapped Lyα cooling radiation
• Radio signals from early direct collapse black holes