Early Universe Riddled with Massive Black Holes, Simulation Shows

Astrophysicist Joseph Simon developed a model to detect ancient supermassive black holes using the gravitational wave background. The model predicted more large galaxies billions of years ago than earlier studies, indicating that ancient black holes may have grown faster than previously expected. Accurately measuring the masses of ancient supermassive black holes could help explain how these mysterious compact objects grow. The North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) is seeking the gravitational wave background.