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Study Reveals Slower Growth of Supermassive Black Holes

3/25/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University found that declining accretion rates are the primary reason supermassive black holes are growing slower today.
Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes, they analyzed data from over 1.3 million galaxies to trace growth since cosmic noon about ten billion years ago when growth peaked.
The findings were published in the Astrophysical Journal.

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Story summary

Researchers from Pennsylvania State University found that declining accretion rates are the primary reason supermassive black holes are growing slower today.
Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes, they analyzed data from over 1.3 million galaxies to trace growth since cosmic noon about ten billion years ago when growth peaked.
The findings were published in the Astrophysical Journal.