How do Massive Primordial Black Holes Impact the Formation of the First Stars and Galaxies?

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Main Authors: Zhang, Saiyang, Liu, Boyuan, Bromm, Volker, Jeon, Junehyoung, Boylan-Kolchin, Michael, Kuhnel, Florian
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Zhang, Saiyang
Liu, Boyuan
Bromm, Volker
Jeon, Junehyoung
Boylan-Kolchin, Michael
Kuhnel, Florian
author_facet Zhang, Saiyang
Liu, Boyuan
Bromm, Volker
Jeon, Junehyoung
Boylan-Kolchin, Michael
Kuhnel, Florian
contents We investigate the impact of massive primordial black holes (PBHs; $m_{\rm BH}\sim 10^6~M_{\odot}$) on the star formation and first galaxy assembly process using high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations from $z = 1100$ to $z \sim 9$. We find that PBH accretion is self-regulated by feedback, suppressing mass growth unless feedback is weak. PBHs accelerate structure formation by seeding dark matter halos and gravitationally attracting gas, but strong feedback can delay cooling and suppress star formation. In addition, the presence of baryon-dark matter streaming creates an offset between the PBH location and the peaks induced in gas density, promoting earlier and more efficient star formation compared to standard $Λ$CDM. By $z \sim 10$, PBH-seeded galaxies form dense star clusters, with PBH-to-stellar mass ratios comparable to observed high-$z$ AGN like UHZ-1. Our results support PBHs as viable SMBH seeds but do not exclude alternative scenarios. We emphasize that PBH-seeding provides a natural explanation for some of the newly-discovered overmassive SMBHs at high redshift, in particular those with extreme ratios of BH-to-dynamical (virial) mass that challenge standard formation channels. Future studies with ultra-deep JWST surveys, the Roman Space Telescope, and radio surveys with facilities such as SKA and HERA will be critical in distinguishing PBH-driven SMBH growth from other pathways.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_17585
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle How do Massive Primordial Black Holes Impact the Formation of the First Stars and Galaxies?
Zhang, Saiyang
Liu, Boyuan
Bromm, Volker
Jeon, Junehyoung
Boylan-Kolchin, Michael
Kuhnel, Florian
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
We investigate the impact of massive primordial black holes (PBHs; $m_{\rm BH}\sim 10^6~M_{\odot}$) on the star formation and first galaxy assembly process using high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations from $z = 1100$ to $z \sim 9$. We find that PBH accretion is self-regulated by feedback, suppressing mass growth unless feedback is weak. PBHs accelerate structure formation by seeding dark matter halos and gravitationally attracting gas, but strong feedback can delay cooling and suppress star formation. In addition, the presence of baryon-dark matter streaming creates an offset between the PBH location and the peaks induced in gas density, promoting earlier and more efficient star formation compared to standard $Λ$CDM. By $z \sim 10$, PBH-seeded galaxies form dense star clusters, with PBH-to-stellar mass ratios comparable to observed high-$z$ AGN like UHZ-1. Our results support PBHs as viable SMBH seeds but do not exclude alternative scenarios. We emphasize that PBH-seeding provides a natural explanation for some of the newly-discovered overmassive SMBHs at high redshift, in particular those with extreme ratios of BH-to-dynamical (virial) mass that challenge standard formation channels. Future studies with ultra-deep JWST surveys, the Roman Space Telescope, and radio surveys with facilities such as SKA and HERA will be critical in distinguishing PBH-driven SMBH growth from other pathways.
title How do Massive Primordial Black Holes Impact the Formation of the First Stars and Galaxies?
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.17585