Work

Massive Black Hole Formation in Proto-Stellar Clusters via Early Gas Accretion

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: In this paper, we review our semi-analytic model of stellar black hole (BH) mass growth via gas accretion in gas-rich stellar clusters during their birthstage within the first ∼10Myr after the first stellar formation event. Such proto-stellar clusters are massive and compact, with typical masses ∼106M⊙ and sizes ∼1pc, as suggested by recent James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations. We find that by the end of the gas depletion process, BH masses are shifted to values within and above the BH mass gap, well within the range of components of the recent gravitational-wave (GW) signal GW231123, and up to masses ∼103M⊙.

Source: Particles

DOI: 10.3390/particles9010018

Author: Zacharias Roupas

Institutions: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Milano, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Milano Bicocca, University of Milano-Bicocca

Language: English

Topic: Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,930

Funders: European Commission, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme