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The formation of supermassive black holes in the early universe

Objective

Supermassive black holes (BHs) of more than a billion solar masses have been observed at z > 6 when the Universe was less than a billion years old. Forming such objects is highly challenging, as high accretion rates need to be maintained over very long time scales. Seed BHs with masses of 10^4 -10^6 solar masses, as predicted by the “direct collapse” scenario, provide a promising pathway to explain their presence. During this project, I will derive the mass distribution of the BHs to provide constraints on their masses and growth mechanisms which can tested with upcoming missions such as JWST and ATHENA. To achieve this goal, I will build up a statistical sample of high-resolution adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) simulations of massive primordial halos, following the dynamics of the gas from cosmological scales down to scales comparable to the solar system. The gravitational collapse initially forms a rapidly accreting protostar, which subsequently moves to the main sequence providing ultra-violet (UV) feedback and finally collapses to a massive BH. In the first part of the project, I will compute the impact of stellar feedback from the supermassive star and follow the time evolution of the mass accretion rates. Subsequently, the simulations will be extended by incorporating the X-ray feedback from the BH itself. Finally, scaling relations between the properties of the host halos and BH masses will be derived. This work will provide the first detailed assessment of the mass distribution of seed BHs, and their observational properties. This
is a substantial step forward to understand the origin of high-redshift BHs.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2014

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Coordinator

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 173 076,00
Address
RUE MICHEL ANGE 3
75794 Paris
France

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Region
Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Hauts-de-Seine
Activity type
Research Organisations
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 173 076,00
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