Detecting the Birth of Supermassive Black Holes Formed from Heavy Seeds

Abstract

In this white paper we explore the capabilities required to identify and study supermassive black holes formed from heavy seeds (${\mathrm{M}}_{\bullet }\sim 10^4-10^6{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot }$) in the early Universe. To obtain an unequivocal detection of heavy seeds we need to probe mass scales of $\sim 10^{5-6}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot }$ at redshift $z\gtrsim 10$. From this theoretical perspective, we review the observational requirements and how they compare with planned/proposed instruments, in the infrared, X-ray and gravitational waves realms. In conclusion, detecting heavy black hole seeds at $z\gtrsim 10$ in the next decade will be challenging but, according to current theoretical models, feasible with upcoming/proposed facilities. Their detection will be fundamental to understand the early history of the Universe, as well as its evolution until now. Shedding light on the dawn of black holes will certainly be one of the key tasks that the astronomical community will focus on in the next decade.

White paper submitted to the Astro2020 US decadal survey

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• Seven hints that early-time new physics alone is not sufficient to solve the Hubble tension
• Implications for the Hubble tension from the ages of the oldest astrophysical objects
• Surveying the onset and evolution of supermassive black holes at high-z with AXIS