Bromm, VolkerLoeb, Abraham2019-09-242003Bromm, Volker, and Abraham Loeb. 2003. “Formation of the First Supermassive Black Holes.” The Astrophysical Journal 596 (1): 34–46. https://doi.org/10.1086/377529.0004-637X1538-4357http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:41393341We consider the physical conditions under which supermassive black holes could have formed inside the first galaxies. Our smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations indicate that metal-free galaxies with a virial temperature of similar to10(4) K and suppressed H-2 formation (due to an intergalactic UV background) tend to form a binary black hole system that contains a substantial fraction (greater than or similar to10%) of the total baryonic mass of the host galaxy. Fragmentation into stars is suppressed without substantial H-2 cooling. Our simulations follow the condensation of similar to5 x 10(6) M-circle dot around the two centers of the binary down to a scale of less than or similar to0.1 pc. Low-spin galaxies form a single black hole instead. These early black holes lead to quasar activity before the epoch of reionization. Primordial black hole binaries lead to gravitational radiation emission at redshifts z greater than or similar to 10 that would be detectable by Laser Interferometer Space Antenna.en-USJournal Article2019-09-2410.1086/377529