ABSTRACT
Recent JWST observations of compact “little red dots” at high redshift have revealed new clues about the existence of supermassive black holes and the early evolution of pre-star-forming halos. A leading explanation is the direct collapse black hole scenario, where the conventional molecular hydrogen cooling channel in these halos is suppressed by exotic energy injection of O(10 eV) photons. In this work, we demonstrate that the decay of axion dark matter can provide this energy injection, significantly modifying halo cooling and triggering the formation pathway of direct collapse black holes. These results present a new avenue for axions to account for JWST observations and highlight the prospect of upcoming high-redshift surveys to probe dark matter interactions.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Tao Xu received his Ph.D. from Zhejiang University in 2019. He then worked as a Postdoctoral Associate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of Oklahoma, before joining the HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study as an IAS Postdoctoral Fellow. Dr. Xu’s research is broadly in astroparticle physics and cosmology, with a recent focus on dark matter detection and gravitational wave probes of new physics.
Date & Time
Venue
Chair