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Study: Supermassive Black Holes' Growth Slowed Since Cosmic Noon

4/7/2026

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Summary

Story summary

A study published in The Astrophysical Journal finds that supermassive black holes (SMBHs) slowed their growth due to reduced cold gas since cosmic noon, 10 billion years ago.
Researchers analyzed data from 1.3 million galaxies to measure accretion.
They report black holes are accreting material at roughly 22 times less than before.
The study suggests SMBHs peaked around 7 billion years ago and will not significantly increase in the future.

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Story summary

A study published in The Astrophysical Journal finds that supermassive black holes (SMBHs) slowed their growth due to reduced cold gas since cosmic noon, 10 billion years ago.
Researchers analyzed data from 1.3 million galaxies to measure accretion.
They report black holes are accreting material at roughly 22 times less than before.
The study suggests SMBHs peaked around 7 billion years ago and will not significantly increase in the future.