'Close to 300,000 kmph': Scientists discover black holes that may challenge the laws of physics

Produced by Tarun Mishra

Spin Rates

A recent study surveyed the spin rates of supermassive black holes to understand their formation history. Researchers found that spin rates, along with mass, are crucial for characterising these massive objects.

Difficulties

Accurately determining spin rates is challenging. Logan Fries, a Ph.D. student at the University of Connecticut, explained that measurements require detailed observations of accretion disks—the regions near black holes where matter heats up as it spirals inward.

Black Hole Evolution


The Sloan Digital Sky Survey's Reverberation Mapping Project examined black holes across cosmic history, spanning up to 7 billion years. Data from these observations provided insight into the behaviour of black holes and their accretion processes.

Formation Models


The study revealed that many black holes spin faster than expected, suggesting they formed primarily through the smooth accumulation of material rather than galaxy mergers. Some black holes are also spinning very close to the speed of light. This challenges the long-held view that black holes grow primarily during galaxy collisions.

Fast Spins

The research showed that black holes in the early universe, about 10 billion years ago, had even faster spin rates than the speed of light, which defies the laws of physics given by Albert Einstein in his Theory of Relativity. This implies that during this period, they gained mass steadily by consuming gas and dust rather than merging with other black holes.

Black Hole Archaeology

Fries likened the study of spin rates to “black hole archaeology,” as spin acts as a record of black hole growth over time. Using spectral measurements, researchers observed subtle shifts in light wavelengths to deduce spin rates.

Future Research

The findings open new paths for studying black hole evolution. Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and ongoing surveys like SDSS are expected to provide more precise data and expand understanding of black hole formation mechanisms.