---
_id: '17639'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: It has been proposed that primordial gas in early dark matter halos, with
    virial temperatures above 10^4 K, can avoid fragmentation and undergo rapid collapse,
    possibly resulting in a supermassive black hole (SMBH). This requires the gas
    to avoid cooling and to remain at temperatures near T=10^4 K. We show that this
    condition can be satisfied in the presence of a sufficiently strong primordial
    magnetic field, which heats the collapsing gas via ambipolar diffusion. If the
    field has a strength above B = 3.6 (comoving) nG, the collapsing gas is kept warm
    (T=10^4K) until it reaches the critical density n_crit=10^3 cm^{-3} at which the
    roto-vibrational states of H_2 approach local thermodynamic equilibrium. H_2-cooling
    then remains inefficient, and the gas temperature stays near 10^4K, even as it
    continues to collapse to higher densities. The critical magnetic field strength
    required to permanently suppress H_2-cooling is somewhat higher than upper limit
    of approx. 2 nG from the cosmic microwave background (CMB). However, it can be
    realized in the rare (2-3)-sigma regions of the spatially fluctuating B-field;
    these regions contain a sufficient number of halos to account for the z=6 quasar
    BHs.
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Shiv
  full_name: Sethi, Shiv
  last_name: Sethi
- first_name: Zoltán
  full_name: Haiman, Zoltán
  id: 7c006e8c-cc0d-11ee-8322-cb904ef76f36
  last_name: Haiman
- first_name: Kanhaiya
  full_name: Pandey, Kanhaiya
  last_name: Pandey
citation:
  ama: Sethi S, Haiman Z, Pandey K. Supermassive black hole formation at high redshifts
    through a primordial magnetic field. <i>The Astrophysical Journal</i>. 2010;721(1):615-621.
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/721/1/615">10.1088/0004-637x/721/1/615</a>
  apa: Sethi, S., Haiman, Z., &#38; Pandey, K. (2010). Supermassive black hole formation
    at high redshifts through a primordial magnetic field. <i>The Astrophysical Journal</i>.
    American Astronomical Society. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/721/1/615">https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/721/1/615</a>
  chicago: Sethi, Shiv, Zoltán Haiman, and Kanhaiya Pandey. “Supermassive Black Hole
    Formation at High Redshifts through a Primordial Magnetic Field.” <i>The Astrophysical
    Journal</i>. American Astronomical Society, 2010. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/721/1/615">https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/721/1/615</a>.
  ieee: S. Sethi, Z. Haiman, and K. Pandey, “Supermassive black hole formation at
    high redshifts through a primordial magnetic field,” <i>The Astrophysical Journal</i>,
    vol. 721, no. 1. American Astronomical Society, pp. 615–621, 2010.
  ista: Sethi S, Haiman Z, Pandey K. 2010. Supermassive black hole formation at high
    redshifts through a primordial magnetic field. The Astrophysical Journal. 721(1),
    615–621.
  mla: Sethi, Shiv, et al. “Supermassive Black Hole Formation at High Redshifts through
    a Primordial Magnetic Field.” <i>The Astrophysical Journal</i>, vol. 721, no.
    1, American Astronomical Society, 2010, pp. 615–21, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/721/1/615">10.1088/0004-637x/721/1/615</a>.
  short: S. Sethi, Z. Haiman, K. Pandey, The Astrophysical Journal 721 (2010) 615–621.
date_created: 2024-09-06T07:16:56Z
date_published: 2010-08-31T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2024-09-24T11:43:48Z
day: '31'
doi: 10.1088/0004-637x/721/1/615
extern: '1'
intvolume: '       721'
issue: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
  url: https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/721/1/615
month: '08'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: 615-621
publication: The Astrophysical Journal
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 0004-637X
  - 1538-4357
publication_status: published
publisher: American Astronomical Society
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Supermassive black hole formation at high redshifts through a primordial magnetic
  field
type: journal_article
user_id: 317138e5-6ab7-11ef-aa6d-ffef3953e345
volume: 721
year: '2010'
...