Thursday, December 03, 2026, 16:00
WBGB/019
Anna de Graaff, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg
Abstract:
Among the most debated discoveries with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the nature of so-called Little Red Dots (LRDs): compact, red sources in the early Universe seen in every image taken with JWST. Due to their unique properties, LRDs were initially thought to be either extremely massive galaxies, in tension with the standard cosmological paradigm, or highly dust-reddened active galactic nuclei, in tension with our theories of black hole growth. However, recent JWST data have called both these interpretations into question, and instead indicate that LRDs may constitute an entirely new astrophysical phenomenon, also dubbed "black hole stars". In this talk, I will present the discovery of LRDs and our rapid progress made in understanding their nature. I will show that LRDs have - surprisingly - some important physical properties in common with massive stars and supernovae, and will discuss caveats and major open questions that still remain.