Related papers: Beasts in Lambda-CDM Zoo
In 1997, an extension of general relativity was proposed that predicts the dark energy density \Lambda\ to vary linearly with the total number of macroscopic black holes in the universe. We explore this prediction and find that \Lambda\…
The cosmic reionization era, which includes formation of the first stars, galaxies, and AGN, is now one of the most active frontiers of cosmological research. We review briefly our current understanding of the early structure formation, and…
By studying the large-scale structure of the bright high-redshift Lyman-break galaxy (LBG) population it is possible to gain an insight into the role of environment in galaxy formation physics in the early Universe. We measure the…
A combination of ground-based and spacecraft observations has uncovered two black holes of 10 billion solar masses in the nearby Universe. The finding sheds light on how these cosmic monsters co-evolve with galaxies.
Could there be a large population of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) formed in the early universe? Whether primordial or formed in Population III, these are likely to be very subdominant compared to the dark matter density, but could…
I review the current understanding of some key properties of the earliest growing supermassive black holes (SMBHs), as determined from the most up-to-date observations of z>=5 quasars. This includes their accretion rates and growth history,…
Cold Dark Matter (CDM) has become the standard modern theory of cosmological structure formation. Its predictions appear to be in good agreement with data on large scales, and it naturally accounts for many properties of galaxies. But…
The main foundations of the standard $\Lambda $CDM model of cosmology are that: 1) The redshifts of the galaxies are due to the expansion of the Universe plus peculiar motions; 2) The cosmic microwave background radiation and its…
A universal mechanism may be responsible for several unresolved cosmic conundra. The sudden drop in the pressure of relativistic matter at $W^{\pm}/Z^{0}$ decoupling, the quark--hadron transition and $e^{+}e^{-}$ annihilation enhances the…
The dark energy plus cold dark matter ($\Lambda$CDM) cosmological model has been a demonstrably successful framework for predicting and explaining the large-scale structure of Universe and its evolution with time. Yet on length scales…
The existence of supermassive black holes is supported by a growing body of observations. Supermassive black holes and their formation events are likely candidates for detection by proposed long-wavelength, space-based gravitational wave…
Observations of protoplanetary disks with high angular resolution using an ALMA interferometer showed that ring-shaped structures are often visible in their images, indicating strong disturbances in the disks. The mechanisms of their…
Although the $\Lambda$ Cold Dark Matter model is the most accredited cosmological model, information at high redshifts ($z$) between type Ia supernovae ($z=2.26$) and the Cosmic Microwave Background ($z=1100$) is crucial to validate this…
We incorporate a simple scheme for the growth of supermassive black holes into semi-analytic models that follow the formation and evolution of galaxies in a cold dark matter dominated Universe. We assume that supermassive black holes are…
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has unveiled numerous massive black holes (BHs) in faint, broad-line active galactic nuclei (AGNs). The discovery highlights the presence of dust-reddened AGN populations, referred to as "little red…
We present ALMA observations of cold dust and molecular gas in four high-luminosity, heavily reddened (A$_{\rm{V}} \sim 2.5-6$ mag) Type 1 quasars at $z\sim2.5$ with virial M$_{\rm{BH}} \sim 10^{10}$M$_\odot$, to test whether dusty, massive…
We investigate the relative occurrence of radio--loud and radio-quiet quasars in the first billion years of the Universe, powered by black holes heavier than one billion solar masses. We consider the sample of high-redshfit blazars detected…
QSOs and radio-galaxies, together with the CMB, ``normal'' galaxies and clusters, represent the main source of information about the origin and evolution of the Large Scale Structure. They can be used either directly, as tracers of the…
We measure host galaxy stellar masses for a sample of five luminous quasars at $z\sim5-7$. Using JWST/NIRCam medium-band images of nearby PSF reference stars, we carefully subtract the contribution from the quasar light to place upper and…
We present optical through radio observations of the host galaxies of two dust obscured, luminous quasars selected in the mid-infrared, at z=2.62 and z=2.99, including a search for CO emission. Our limits on the CO luminosities are…