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Priyamvada Natarajan

Publications and source records attributed to Priyamvada Natarajan.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Little Red Dot $-$ Host Galaxy $=$ Black Hole Star: A Gas-Enshrouded Heart at the Center of Every Little Red Dot

The central engines of Little Red Dots (LRDs) may be ``black hole stars" (BH*s), early stages of black hole growth characterized by dense gas envelopes. So far, the most direct evidence for BH*s comes from a handful of sources where the host galaxy is completely outshone as suggested by their remarkably steep Balmer breaks. Here we present a novel scheme to disentangle BH*s from their host galaxies assuming that the [OIII]5008Å line arises exclusively from the host. Using a sample of 98 LRDs ($z$~$2-9$) with high quality NIRSpec/PRISM spectra, we demonstrate that the host-subtracted median stack displays a Balmer break $>2\times$ stronger than massive quiescent galaxies, with the rest-optical continuum resembling a blackbody-like SED ($T_{\rm{eff}}$~$4050$ K, $\log(L_{\rm{bol}})$~$43.9$ erg s$^{-1}$, $R_{\rm{eff}}$~$1300$ au). We measure a steep Balmer decrement (H$α$/H$β>10$) and numerous density-sensitive features (e.g., FeII, HeI, OI). These are hallmark signatures of dense gas envelopes, providing population-level evidence that BH*s indeed power LRDs. In the median LRD, BH*s account for $\sim20\%$ of the UV emission, $\sim50\%$ at the Balmer break, and $\sim90\%$ at wavelengths longer than H$α$ with the remainder arising from the host. BH*s preferentially reside in low-mass galaxies ($M_{\rm{\star}}$~$10^{8}\,{\rm M}_{\rm{\odot}}$) undergoing recent starbursts, as evidenced by extreme emission line EWs (e.g., [OIII]5008Å~$1100$Å, CIII]~$12$Å), thereby favoring BH* origins linked to star-formation. We show V-shaped LRD selections are biased to high BH*/host fractions ($\gtrsim60\%$ at 5500Å) -- less dominant BH*s may be powering JWST's blue broad-line AGN. We find BH*s are so commonplace and transient (duty cycle $\sim1\%$, lifetime $\sim10$ Myrs) that every massive black hole may have once shone as a BH*.

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New Cold Dark Matter Crisis Revealed by Multiscale Cluster Lensing

The properties of substructure in galaxy clusters, exquisitely probed by gravitational lensing, offer a stringent test of dark matter (DM) models. Combining strong- and weak-lensing data for massive clusters, we map their total mass -- dominated by DM -- over the dynamic range needed to confront small-scale predictions for collisionless cold DM (CDM). Using state-of-the-art lens models, we extract four key subhalo properties: the mass function, projected radial distribution, internal density profile, and tidal truncation radius. We find that the subhalo mass functions and truncation radii are consistent with CDM expectations. In contrast, the inner density profiles and radial distributions of subhalos are strongly discrepant with CDM. The incidence of galaxy-galaxy strong lensing from subhalo cores exceeds CDM predictions by nearly an order of magnitude, requiring inner density slopes as steep as $γ\gtrsim 2.5$ within $r \lesssim 0.01R_{200}$ consistent with core-collapsed self-interacting DM (SIDM), while the same subhalos behave as collisionless in their outskirts. Additionally, the observed radial distribution of subhalos hosting bright cluster member galaxies, explicitly modeled in the lens reconstructions, remains incompatible with CDM. Taken together, these small-scale stress tests reveal an intriguing paradox and challenge the DM microphysics of purely collisionless CDM, motivating hybrid scenarios -- such as a dual-component model with both CDM and SIDM or entirely new classes of DM theories.

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A Glimpse of the Low-Mass End of the Direct Mass-Metallicity Relation at $z\sim6-8$

The competition between metal synthesis and feedback from massive stars establishes the mass-metallicity relation (MZR) at low-redshifts. Examining this relation at higher redshifts, particularly at the low-mass end $\lesssim10^{8}\,{\rm M_\odot}$, is essential for understanding chemical enrichment and stellar feedback. In this study, we utilize the deep ($\sim30\,$hrs) JWST/NIRSpec G395M GLIMPSE-D survey of the lensed field Abell S1063, to explore the low-mass end of the MZR at high redshift ($z\sim6-8$). We identify eight [OIII]$λ$4364 emitters, enabling the most reliable "direct" metallicity measurements in galaxies down to stellar masses of $\sim10^{6-8}\,{\rm M_\odot}$. By combining our sample and galaxies with [OIII]$λ$4364 detections from the literature, we calculate direct metallicities for 21 galaxies. We compare our direct metallicities to those derived from strong-line diagnostics, and find them to be consistent with previous calibrations. We fit the MZR at $10^{6.7-9}\,M_{\odot}$ with $\sim0.3-0.5$ dex lower metallicity than local galaxies at similar stellar mass. We find the slope to be $0.25\pm0.10$, comparable to the local MZR; and the MZR exhibits a scatter of $\sim0.2\,$dex, which is larger than the local MZR, The lower metallicities may reflect denser, more gas-rich early environments, with continuous inflow of metal-poor gas diluting the ISM metallicity. In addition, we show that in extremely high electron densities ($n_e \gtrsim 10^5\,{\rm cm^{-3}}$), metallicities can be significantly underestimated ($\sim0.5$ dex), if lower $n_e$ are assumed for galaxies with high $n_e$. In a nutshell, these observations provide the first glimpse of the low-mass MZR at $z\sim6-8$ using direct metallicity measurements. More deep spectroscopic observations in lensed fields will be critical to robustly characterize the MZR and chemical evolution in the early universe.

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A Kiloparsec-Scale Stellar Cavity in the Center of Abell402-BCG May be Caused by Dynamic Interactions with an Ultramassive Black Hole

We present new observations from JWST NIRCam that reveal a striking kpc-wide cavity in the stellar distribution of the central galaxy in the cluster Abell402. Supporting data from HST allow us to rule out extinction due to dust as an explanation and, instead, suggest that this is a localized depression in the stellar density field corresponding to ~2x10^9 Msun in missing stars within a volume of 0.5kpc^3. On larger scales, both the JWST and HST data show evidence for a 2.2kpc flattened core in the stellar distribution (on which the smaller-scale cavity is superimposed), which implies the presence of a central ultra-massive black hole with M_BH = 6 +/- 4 x10^10 Msun. We report evidence for a mid-IR-bright point source at one edge of the cavity, suggesting that this black hole is actively accreting. MUSE spectroscopy reveal that this source is a LINER AGN and that there is a second candidate AGN on the opposite side of the cavity with a relative velocity of 370km/s -- if real, this implies the presence of a kpc-separation dual AGN with a total binary mass of 6 +/- 2 x10^10 Msun, which would make this the most massive binary black hole system discovered to date. We propose that this unique stellar cavity is the result of a short-lived dynamical interaction between at least one supermassive black hole and the background stellar density field, caused either by three-body scattering during binary hardening or the induction of a dipole instability in the stellar density field.

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Bridging Scales in Black Hole Accretion and Feedback: Subgrid Prescription from First Principles

Understanding how supermassive black holes (BHs) couple to their host galaxies across a vast spatial and temporal dynamic range remains a central challenge in galaxy evolution. Using the multizone framework -- designed to capture bidirectional inflow--outflow from the event horizon to the Bondi scale -- we present a suite of long-duration GRMHD simulations spanning BH spins $|a_\ast|=0$--0.9 and Bondi radii $R_B/r_g=4\times10^2$--$2\times10^6$. From these simulations we derive spin-dependent subgrid prescriptions from first principles, applicable to hot accretion flows with low-Eddington ratios ($f_{\rm Edd}\lesssim10^{-3}$), for adoption in cosmological simulations and semi-analytic models. We provide compact analytic fits for the time-averaged accretion rate $\dot M(R_B,a_\ast)$ and feedback power $\dot E_{\rm fb}(R_B,a_\ast)$ with respect to the Bondi rate $\dot{M}_B$, which are largely insensitive to the initial gas configuration and magnetic field strength. To capture intrinsic time-variability, we also quantify the full distributions of $\dot M$ and feedback efficiency $η$, both well described by lognormal statistics, with widths that increase toward larger $R_B$. We further measure self-consistent spin evolution in the hot accretion mode, finding that the spin-up parameter varies as $s(a_\ast)\simeq -3.7\,a_\ast$, which implies a very long spindown timescale $t_s\simeq 12(10^{-3}/f_{\rm Edd})\,{\rm Gyr}$. Thus, BH spins are effectively frozen during phases of quiescent accretion. Compared to conventional small-domain GRMHD calculations, our simulations, which reach dynamical equilibrium across horizon-to-galaxy scales, yield systematically different long-term accretion, feedback, and spin properties, cautioning against direct extrapolation from small-scale GRMHD simulations when constructing galactic-scale subgrid models.

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Variability as a new discovery channel for Intermediate-Mass Black Holes in the Time Domain Era

Between the groundbreaking detections of stellar-mass black holes by LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA and JWST's revelation of a surprisingly abundant population of supermassive black holes, one crucial missing link remains: the elusive intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs). IMBHs represent a key phase in the hierarchical growth of black holes, yet they have persistently evaded detection. Traditional methods, effective for both actively accreting and quiescent black holes, have largely failed to uncover this hidden population. Here, we argue that novel observational strategies--particularly time-domain variability studies of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and tidal disruption events--provide a promising path forward. Finding IMBHs will resolve critical gaps in our understanding of black hole formation and the various mechanisms driving their subsequent growth. The upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory, with its unprecedented capacity to monitor the dynamic sky, stands to revolutionize our ability to detect these long-sought IMBHs, shedding new light on the assembly history of black holes across cosmic time.

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The NANOGrav 15 yr Data Set: Targeted Searches for Supermassive Black Hole Binaries

We present the first targeted searches for continuous gravitational waves (CWs) from 114 active galactic nuclei (AGN) that may host supermassive black hole binaries, using the NANOGrav 15 yr data set. By incorporating electromagnetic priors on sky location, distance, redshift, and CW frequency, our strain and chirp mass upper limits are typically improved by a factor of $\sim 2$ (median 2.2) relative to all-sky limits at the same frequency. Bayesian comparisons against a model including only a Hellings-Downs correlated background disfavors a CW signal for all targets, with a mean Bayes factor of $0.73 \pm 0.32$. Two targets have Bayes factors slightly above unity, but coherence tests, random targeting experiments, and a conservative accounting of the 114-target trials factor all indicate that they are consistent with noise. We use these two candidates as worked examples to illustrate an end-to-end targeted CW search analysis and a suite of follow up tests that future promising candidates would need to pass. We find that the electromagnetic interpretations of both candidates are ambiguous, and we update the constraints on a putative binary in 3C 66B, ruling out part of its previously allowed parameter space. Ultimately, our results demonstrate the current sensitivity of targeted pulsar timing array searches for CWs and define a roadmap for future multimessenger CW detections.

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MESA-QUEST: Tracing the formation of direct collapse black hole seeds via quasi-stars

The origin of the first supermassive black holes (SMBHs) observed at redshifts $z\geq 9$ remains one of the most challenging open questions in astrophysics. Their rapid emergence suggests that massive ``heavy seeds'' must have formed early, possibly through the direct collapse of pristine gas clouds in the first galaxies. We present MESA-QUEST, a new framework built upon the Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) code, designed to model the structure and evolution of quasi-stars -- massive, radiation-supported envelopes hosting accreting black holes at their cores -- believed to be the progenitors of direct-collapse black hole (DCBH) seeds. Our implementation introduces flexible boundary conditions representing both Bondi accretion and saturated-convection regimes, and explores the impact of several stellar wind and mass-loss prescriptions, including Reimers, Dutch, and super-Eddington radiation-driven winds. We find that quasi-stars can grow central black holes to $\geq 10^3\,M_{\odot}$ under favorable conditions, with saturated-convection models yielding BH-to-total mass ratios up to 0.55$M_*$ -- five times higher than Bondi-limited cases. However, strong radiation-driven winds can dramatically curtail growth, potentially quenching heavy-seed formation unless balanced by sustained envelope accretion. Our results delineate the physical limits under which quasi-stars can remain stable and produce heavy seeds capable of evolving into the earliest SMBHs detected by JWST and Chandra. Future extensions will incorporate rotation, magnetic fields, and GR-radiation hydrodynamics to refine accretion physics and constrain the viability of the quasi-star pathway for early SMBH formation.

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Evolutionary Tracks and Spectral Properties of Quasi-stars and Their Correlation with Little Red Dots

JWST has revealed a population of red, compact, high-redshift (${z\sim3-10}$) objects referred to as ``Little Red Dots'' (LRDs). These objects exhibit unusual spectral features reminiscent of stellar spectra with blackbody-like SEDs, large hydrogen Balmer breaks, Balmer line absorption, and classical stellar absorption features such as calcium H&K and the calcium triplet. Following the recent suggestion that these may be actively accreting direct-collapse black holes in the process of assembly, i.e. quasi-stars, we present evolutionary models of quasi-stars using our recently released, publicly available MESA-QUEST modeling framework. We compute a grid of models spanning a range of black hole masses and predict the luminosities, temperatures, surface gravities, and lifetimes of these objects. We find that these models lie along a Hayashi track once they hit their ``late-stage'' which constitutes the majority of their lives ($\sim 20$~Myr). We present scaling relations for estimating the mass of a quasi-star as a function of the bolometric luminosity, as well as the bolometric luminosity as a function of the effective temperature for the Hayashi track. The short lifetimes in tandem with the observed number density of LRDs imply the possibility that every supermassive black hole was once a quasi-star. We compare synthetic spectra of our quasi-star models to observations of LRDs, and show that these models are broadly capable of reproducing the continuum spectra of observed LRDs. These results indicate that quasi-stars are promising candidates for the origin of supermassive black holes via direct collapse in the early universe.

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Evidence for evolving Dark Energy from a new cosmic probe

The $Λ$CDM concordance cosmological model provides a remarkably successful description of the formation and evolution of structure in the Universe. However, a growing discrepancy between measurements of the expansion rate $H_0$ from the near and distant Universe now appears to be significant at the ~4-7 $σ$ level. This inconsistency, known as the ``Hubble tension'', has arisen either due to unrecognized systematics in these measurements or new physics beyond the standard model, such as an evolving dark energy equation of state. Modeling ~20-year, multi-band optical light curves for 6992 active galactic nuclei (AGN), we find a tight relation linking the variability amplitude and characteristic timescale to their intrinsic luminosity. This empirical law enables us to construct an AGN-based Hubble diagram to z ~3.5. Joint inference with supernova distances reveals evidence for an evolving dark energy equation of state at the 3.8-3.9 $σ$ level over constant w models and 4.4-4.8 $σ$ over $Λ$CDM. Our results establish AGN light curves as a powerful tool for cosmography that could offer a novel pathway to test deviations from the standard $Λ$CDM expansion history.

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Constraining the Nature of Dark Matter from Tidal Radii of Cluster Galaxy Subhalos

Gravitational lensing by galaxy clusters provides a powerful probe of the spatial distribution of dark matter and its microphysical properties. Strong and weak lensing constraints on the density profiles of subhalos and their truncation radii offer key diagnostics for distinguishing between collisionless cold dark matter (CDM) and self-interacting dark matter (SIDM). Notably, in the strongly collisional SIDM regime, subhalo core collapse and enhanced mass loss from ram-pressure stripping predict steeper central density slopes and more compact truncation radii--features that are directly testable with current lensing data. We analyze subhalo truncation in eight lensing clusters (Abell 2218, 383, 963, 209, 2390, and MACS J0416.1, J1206.2, J1149.6) that span the redshift range <$z_\text{spec}$>$ \simeq 0.17$-$0.54$ with virial masses $M_{200} \simeq0.41$-$2.2\times 10^{15}$ M$_\odot$ to constrain SIDM versus CDM. Our results indicate that the outer spatial extents of subhalos are statistically consistent with CDM, corroborated by redshift- and mass-matched analogs from the Illustris-TNG simulations. We conclude that the tidal radii of cluster galaxy subhalos serve as an important and complementary diagnostic of the nature of dark matter in these violent, dense environments.

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Bridging scales: How much do supermassive black holes grow in the suppressed Bondi regime?

The co-evolution of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and their host galaxies remains one of the central open questions in cosmology, rooted in the coupling between accretion, feedback, and the multi-scale physics that links the event horizon to the circumgalactic medium. Here we bridge these scales by embedding a first-principles, GRMHD-informed prescription for black hole accretion and feedback--derived from multi-zone simulations that self-consistently connect inflows and outflows from the horizon to the Bondi radius--within cosmological magnetohydrodynamic zoom-in simulations of $\sim10^{14}\,M_\odot$ halos. These GRMHD results predict a "suppressed Bondi" regime in which magnetic stresses and relativistic winds strongly reduce effective accretion rates in a spin-dependent manner. We find that black holes cannot grow efficiently by accretion until they exceed $\sim10^{7}\,M_\odot$, regardless of the feedback strength. Beyond this threshold, systems bifurcate: low-spin ($η\!\sim\!0.02$) black holes continue to accrete without quenching star formation, while high-spin ($η\!\gtrsim\!0.3$) black holes quench effectively but become starved of further growth. Early, massive seeding partially alleviates this tension through merger-driven assembly, yet an additional cold or super-Eddington accretion mode appears essential to reproduce the observed SMBH population and the empirical black hole--galaxy scaling relations. Our results demonstrate that GRMHD-informed feedback models can account for the maintenance-mode behavior of low-luminosity AGN like M87*, but cannot by themselves explain the full buildup of SMBH mass across cosmic time. A unified, multi-regime framework is required to capture the evolving interplay between spin-dependent feedback, cold inflows, and mergers in driving co-evolution.

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Bridging scales: Modeling suppressed Bondi accretion on black holes and its impact on galaxy growth

The accretion and feedback processes governing supermassive black hole (SMBH) growth span an enormous range of spatial scales, from the Event Horizon to the circumgalactic medium. Recent general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations demonstrate that strong magnetic fields can substantially suppress Bondi accretion by creating magnetically arrested disk (MAD) states, reducing inflow rates by up to two orders of magnitude relative to classical Bondi predictions. We incorporate this magnetic suppression prescription from Cho et al. (2023, 2024) into the Dark Sage semi-analytic model (SAM), which tracks SMBH and galaxy co-evolution within hierarchical merger trees derived from the IllustrisTNG cosmological simulation. Implementing the suppression across different Eddington-ratio regimes, we explore its impact on black hole mass functions (BHMFs), stellar mass functions (SMFs), and AGN luminosity functions. Restricting suppression to sub-Eddington accretors ($f_{\rm Edd} < 3 \times 10^{-3}$) and rescaling AGN feedback efficiencies gives simultaneous agreement with observed $z = 0$ SMFs and BHMFs, as illustrated by Case D in this work. At $z > 6$, super-Eddington growth episodes dominate in the SAM, reproducing JWST-inferred luminous AGN number densities. Our results highlight the critical sensitivity of galaxy assembly to the coupling between small-scale accretion physics and large-scale feedback regulation. Magnetic suppression of hot gas accretion can reconcile low-redshift constraints while preserving the rapid black hole growth required at early cosmic epochs, thereby providing a physically motivated bridge between horizon-scale GRMHD simulations and cosmological galaxy-formation models.

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JWST's GLIMPSE: an overview of the deepest probe of early galaxy formation and cosmic reionization

We present an overview of the JWST GLIMPSE program, highlighting its survey design, primary science goals, gravitational lensing models, and first results. GLIMPSE provides ultra-deep JWST/NIRCam imaging across seven broadband filters (F090W, F115W, F200W, F277W, F356W, F444W) and two medium-band filters (F410M, F480M), with exposure times ranging from 20 to 40 hours per filter. This yields a 5$σ$ limiting magnitude of 30.9 AB (measured in a 0.2 arcsec diameter aperture). The field is supported by extensive ancillary data, including deep HST imaging from the Hubble Frontier Fields program, VLT/MUSE spectroscopy, and deep JWST/NIRSpec medium-resolution multi-object spectroscopy. Exploiting the strong gravitational lensing of the galaxy cluster Abell S1063, GLIMPSE probes intrinsic depths beyond 33 AB magnitudes and covers an effective source-plane area of approximately 4.4 arcmin$^2$ at $z \sim 6$. The program's central aim is to constrain the abundance of the faintest galaxies from $z \sim 6$ up to the highest redshifts, providing crucial benchmarks for galaxy formation models, which have so far been tested primarily on relatively bright systems. We present an initial sample of $\sim 540$ galaxy candidates identified at $6 < z < 16$, with intrinsic UV magnitudes spanning $M_{\mathrm UV}$ = $-$20 to $-$12. This enables unprecedented constraints on the extreme faint end of the UV luminosity function at these epochs. In addition, GLIMPSE opens new windows for spatially resolved studies of star clusters in early galaxies and the detection and characterization of faint high-$z$ active galactic nuclei. This paper accompanies the first public data release, which includes reduced JWST and HST mosaics, photometric catalogs, and gravitational lensing models.

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A GLIMPSE of Intermediate Mass Black holes in the epoch of reionization: Witnessing the Descendants of Direct Collapse?

JWST has revealed an abundance of supermassive black holes (BHs) in the early Universe, and yet the lowest mass seed black holes that gave rise to these populations remain elusive. Here we present a systematic search for broad-line Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) in some of the faintest high-$z$ galaxies surveyed yet by combining ultra-deep JWST/NIRSpec G395M spectroscopy with the strong lensing aid in Abell S1063. By employing the profile of the [OIII]$λ5007$ emission lines as a template for narrow-line components and carefully cross-validating with mock observations, we identify a sample of ten broad-line AGNs at $4.5<z<7.0$ (eight secure, two tentative). The inferred BH masses from the broad H$α$ line explore the intermediate BH mass regime down to $\sim 10^{5.5}\,M_\odot$. The stellar mass ($M_*$) is estimated with a galaxy+AGN composite model, and we find the BH to stellar mass ratio spans down to $M_{\rm BH}/M_*\lesssim 0.1\%$, unveiling populations on the empirical $M_{\rm BH}-M*$ relation observed in the local universe. We also derive the black hole mass function and investigate its low-mass end at this epoch. While we confirm the agreement of our results with previous studies at $M_{\rm BH}\gtrsim10^{6.5}M_{\odot}$, we find the mass range of $\sim 10^{5.5}\,M_\odot$ features an enhanced abundance with respect to the extrapolated best-fit Schechter function. Comparison with theoretical models suggests that a possible origin for this enhanced abundance is the direct-collapse BH formation, supporting the scenario that the direct collapse of massive gas clouds is a significant pathway for the earliest supermassive BHs.

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Heavy seeds and the first black holes: Insights from the BRAHMA simulations

From the luminous quasars at $z \sim 6$ to the recent $z \sim 9-11$ AGNs revealed by JWST, observations of the earliest black hole (BH) populations can provide unique constraints on BH formation and growth models. We use the BRAHMA simulations with constrained initial conditions to investigate BH assembly in extreme overdense regions. The simulations implement heavy seeds ($\sim 10^4-10^5 M_{\odot})$ forming in dense, metal-poor gas exposed to sufficient Lyman-Werner flux. With gas accretion modeled via Bondi-Hoyle formalism and BH dynamics and mergers using a subgrid dynamical friction scheme, we isolate the impact of seeding, dynamics, accretion, and feedback on early BH growth. With fiducial stellar and AGN feedback inherited from IllustrisTNG, accretion is strongly suppressed at $z \gtrsim 9$, leaving mergers as the dominant growth channel. Gas accretion dominates at $z \lesssim 9$, where permissive models (super-Eddington or low radiative efficiency) build $\sim 10^9\ M_{\odot}$ BHs powering quasars by $z \sim 6$, while stricter IllustrisTNG-based prescriptions yield much lower BH masses ($\sim 10^6-10^8\ M_{\odot}$). Our seed models strongly affect merger-driven growth at $z \gtrsim 9$: only the most lenient models (with $\sim 10^5\ M_{\odot}$ seeds) produce enough BH mergers to reach $\gtrsim 10^6\ M_{\odot}$ by $z \sim 10$, consistent with current estimates for GN-z11. Our dynamical friction model gives low merger efficiencies, hindering the buildup of $\gtrsim 10^7\ M_{\odot}$ BHs by $z \sim 9-10$, as currently inferred for GHZ9, UHZ1, and CAPERS-LRD-z9. If the BH-to-stellar mass ratios of these sources are indeed as extreme as currently inferred, they would require either very short BH merger timescales or reduced AGN thermal feedback. Weaker stellar feedback boosts both star formation and BH accretion and cannot raise these ratios.

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The rise of the galactic empire: luminosity functions at $z\sim17$ and $z\sim25$ estimated with the MIDIS$+$NGDEEP ultra-deep JWST/NIRCam dataset

We present a sample of six F200W and three F277W dropout sources identified as $16 16$ candidates present mass-weighted ages around 30 Myr, and attenuations $\mathrm{A(V)}<0.1$ mag. Their average stellar mass is $\mathrm{M}_\bigstar\sim10^{7}\,\mathrm{M}_\odot$, implying a stellar-to-baryon mass fraction around 10% if the emissivity increases with redshift, or significantly higher otherwise. Three candidates present very blue UV spectral slopes ($β\sim-3$) compatible with Pop III young ($\lesssim10$ Myr) stars and/or high escape fractions of ionizing photons; the rest have $β\sim-2.5$ similar to $z=10-12$ samples.

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The first GLIMPSE of the faint galaxy population at Cosmic Dawn with JWST: The evolution of the ultraviolet luminosity function across z~9-15

Using ultra-deep JWST NIRCam imaging from the GLIMPSE Survey, enhanced by gravitational lensing of the AbellS1063 cluster, we investigate the faintest galaxies ever observed in the redshift range z~9 to z~15. We identify 105 galaxy candidates within this range, spanning absolute ultraviolet (UV) magnitudes from M_UV~-18 to M_UV~-13 mag, about three magnitudes fainter, on average, than prior JWST studies. We place strong constraints on the ultra-faint end of the UV luminosity function (UVLF), finding minimal evolution in the faint-end slope, which varies from $α=-2.01\pm0.20 at z=9 to α=-2.10\pm0.19$ at z=13. This behaviour contrasts with the rapid evolution of the faint-end slope observed from z~0 to z~9. By integrating the UVLF down to M_UV=-16, we derive the cosmic star formation rate density (SFRD)from z=9 to z=13, revealing a best-fit redshift evolution that follows $\propto(1+z)^{-2.94^{+0.06}_{-0.10}}$. This slope is significantly shallower than predictions from most theoretical models. Extending the integration limit to M_UV=-13, we find that galaxies fainter than M_UV=-16 contribute more than 50% of the total cosmic SFR density at z~12. The observed excess in the cosmic SFRD at these high redshifts may suggest an enhancement in the star formation efficiency during the earliest phases of galaxy formation. Alternatively, this could result from other physical mechanisms, such as bursty star formation histories; minimal dust attenuation; or an evolving initial mass function. However, existing models that incorporate these scenarios fail to fully reproduce the observed redshift evolution of SFRD. Finally, we acknowledge the potential impact of low-redshift contamination and cosmic variance, as the small survey volume may not represent the broader galaxy population. Similar observations in different fields and spectroscopic confirmation are required to validate these findings

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