Rutgers University Astrophysics Colloquium

 A revolution is underway in our understanding of the origins of supermassive black holes (SMBHs), reshaping our view of how the very first black holes formed and grew in the early universe. New breakthroughs have provided critical insights into their seeding channels, mass assembly histories, and coupling to their host galaxies. In particular, evidence for direct collapse as a viable pathway to forming massive black hole seeds has been illuminated by the combined capabilities of JWST, Chandra, and Hubble. At the same time, observations of gravitational wave backgrounds and advances in computational modeling are revealing complementary channels for SMBH growth through accretion and mergers. In this talk, I will highlight new insights into black hole formation during the first 400–500 Myr after the Big Bang, explore the relative roles of competing seeding mechanisms—including light seeds from Population III remnants and heavy seeds from direct collapse—and discuss how current and upcoming observations are beginning to discriminate between them. I will conclude by outlining the key open questions in black hole formation physics and the exciting prospects ahead, including constraints from the LISA mission.