Related papers: X-rays from the First Massive Black Holes
We search for high-redshift (z>4.5) X-ray AGNs in the deep central (off-axis angle <5.7') region of the 7 Ms Chandra Deep Field-South X-ray image. We compile an initial candidate sample from direct X-ray detections. We then probe more…
It has long been suggested that supermassive black holes in non-active galaxies might be tracked down by occasional tidal disruptions of stars on nearly radial orbits. A tidal disruption event would reveal itself by a luminous flare of…
We report the discovery of three low-mass black hole candidates residing in the centers of low-mass galaxies at z<0.3 in the Chandra Deep Field - South Survey. These black holes are initially identified as candidate active galactic nuclei…
We examine the black hole mass - galaxy bulge relationship in high-redshift QSOs. Black hole masses are derived from the broad emission lines, and the host galaxy stellar velocity dispersion sigma is estimated from the widths of the radio…
Gamma ray bursts (GRBs) are the most energetic eruptions known in the Universe. Instruments such as Compton-GRO/BATSE and the GRB monitor on BeppoSAX have detected more than 2700 GRBs and, although observational confirmation is still…
The first stars in the history of the Universe are likely to form in the dense central regions of 10^5-10^6 Msolar cold dark matter halos at z=10-50. The annihilation of dark matter particles in these environments may lead to the formation…
The highly energetic outflows from Active Galactic Nuclei detected in X-rays are one of the most powerful mechanisms by which the central supermassive black hole (SMBH) interacts with the host galaxy. The last two decades of high resolution…
We discuss the formation of supermassive black holes in the early universe, and how to probe their subsequent evolution with the upcoming mm/sub-mm telescope ALMA. We first focus on the chemical and radiative conditions for black hole…
We place firm upper limits on the global accretion history of massive black holes at z>5 from the recently measured unresolved fraction of the cosmic X-ray background. The maximum allowed unresolved intensity observed at 1.5 keV implies a…
The large population of broad-line Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) observed with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) at $z \gtrsim 4$ opens a new window onto the black hole-galaxy connection in the first Gyr of cosmic history. We use the…
We measure the rates of type I X-ray bursts, as a function of the bolometric luminosity, from a likely complete sample of 37 non-pulsing transients (1996-2004). Our goals are to test the burst model for neutron stars and to investigate…
More than 300 supermassive black holes have been detected at redshifts larger than 6, and they are abundant in the centers of local galaxies. Their formation mechanisms, however, are still rather unconstrained. A possible origin of these…
Galactic X-ray sources are diverse, ranging from active M dwarfs to compact object binaries, and everything in between. The X-ray landscape of today is rich, with point source catalogs such as those from XMM-Newton, Chandra, and Swift, each…
The most compelling evidences for the existence of stellar-mass black holes have been obtained through observations of X-ray binary systems. The application of classical methods and the development of new techniques have allowed us to…
We briefly review X-ray studies of ionized AGN outflows and high-redshift AGN. We discuss recent progress with Chandra and XMM-Newton as well as prospects and requirements for future X-ray missions.
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…
39 galaxies are now known, from follow-up of faint IRAS sources and from submm observations of high redshift AGN, with far infrared luminosities > 10^{13} Lo. 13 of these, which have been found in 60 or 850 mu surveys, form an important…
Although General Relativity had provided the physical basis of black holes, evidence for their existence had to await the Space Era when X-ray observations first directed the attention of astronomers to the unusual binary stars Cygnus X-1…
The selection of clusters of galaxies through their X-ray emission has proved to be an extremely powerful technique over the past four decades. The growth of X-ray astronomy has provided the community with a steadily more detailed view of…
Quasars at large redshifts provide a powerful probe of structure formation in the early universe. Several arguments suggest that the formation of ellipticals and massive bulges may have involved an early quasar phase. At very large…