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arXiv · 2305.03408

Black holes as the source of dark energy: a stringent test with high-redshift JWST AGNs

Lei Lei·Lei Zu·Guan-Wen Yuan·Zhao-Qiang Shen·Yi-Ying Wang·Yuan-Zhu Wang·Zhen-Bo Su·Wen-ke Ren·Shao-Peng Tang·Hao Zhou·Chi Zhang·Zhi-Ping Jin·Lei Feng·Yi-Zhong Fan·Da-Ming Wei
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Abstract

Studies have proposed that there is evidence for cosmological coupling of black holes (BHs) with an index of $k\approx 3$; hence, BHs serve as the astrophysical source of dark energy. However, the data sample is limited for the redshifts of $\leq 2.5$. In recent years, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected many high-redshift active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and quasars. Among the JWST NIRSpec-/NIRCam-resolved AGNs, three are determined to be in early-type host galaxies with a redshift of $z\sim 4.5--7$. However, their $M_{\star}$ and $M_{\rm BH}$ are in tension with the predicted cosmological coupling of black holes with $k = 3$ at a confidence level of $\sim 2\sigma$, which challenges the hypothesis that BHs serve as the origin of dark energy. Future work on high-redshift AGNs using the JWST will further assess such a hypothesis by identifying more early-type host galaxies in the higher mass range.

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Lei Lei, Lei Zu, Guan-Wen Yuan, Zhao-Qiang Shen, Yi-Ying Wang, Yuan-Zhu Wang, Zhen-Bo Su, Wen-ke Ren, Shao-Peng Tang, Hao Zhou, Chi Zhang, Zhi-Ping Jin, Lei Feng, Yi-Zhong Fan, Da-Ming Wei. 2023-05-05. Black holes as the source of dark energy: a stringent test with high-redshift JWST AGNs. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-023-2233-2

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