Cosmic research reveals increase in black holes in dwarf galaxies
A recent cosmic census has revealed an unexpected threefold increase in the number of active black holes in dwarf galaxies, creating the most comprehensive database of intermediate-mass black holes to date. This study, conducted with the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) at the Mayall Telescope in Arizona, identified more than 2,500 black holes in dwarf galaxies – more than three times as many as previously estimated. Led by astronomer Ragadeepika Pucha of the University of Utah, the research team found that about 2 percent of the nearly 115,000 dwarf galaxies studied contain black holes that are actively consuming matter. Previously, only 0.5 percent of these galaxies were thought to harbor such black holes.
Revealing middleweight black holes in the cosmos
The research also expanded the number of candidates for an intermediate-mass black hole – those with masses between 100 and a million times that of the Sun. With nearly 300 new middleweight candidates identified, the known population has quadrupled from just 70. findings are important for understanding black hole evolution because middleweight black holes are seen as a bridge between stellar-mass black holes, formed from collapsing stars, and supermassive black holes, which are often found at the centers of larger galaxies found. According to Pucha, this newly documented group of black holes offers clues about how early black holes may have evolved through gradual cosmic mergers.
Insights into the co-evolution of galaxies and black holes
The unprecedented increase in the number of detected black holes offers new opportunities to study the connection between galaxies and the black holes within them. As Dr. Stéphanie Juneau of NOIRLAb, co-author of the study, notes, the discovery raises fundamental questions about the evolution of galaxies and their black holes. It remains unclear whether galaxies formed first and then created black holes, or whether black holes seeded the growth of galaxies.
Future of cosmic exploration with DESI
DESI’s findings open new chapters in understanding galactic evolution. The DESI project is expected to release more detailed findings in 2025 and has already mapped 1.5 million galaxies, creating a massive 3D map that will allow astronomers to investigate fainter galaxies that previously escaped detailed investigation. Astrophysicist Mallory Molina of Vanderbilt University, although not directly involved in the research, noted the transformative impact of the data, highlighting DESI’s ability to detect numerous black holes even with basic observation tools, raising the potential for further discoveries suggests.
