A Speculative Black Hole Mass Threshold Framework for Early Galaxy Evolution Insights from JWST's JADES-GS-z14-0

Abstract

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has uncovered a bimodal population at cosmic dawn: compact, luminous starbursts like JADES-GS-z14-0 (z ≈ 14.32) and early quasars powered by supermassive black holes. We propose a speculative framework where a critical central black hole mass threshold M_BH,crit ∼ 10⁶–10⁷ M_⊙ marks a transition in AGN feedback regimes—from mild, momentum-driven (localized) to powerful, energy-driven (global disruptive). Below this threshold, systems sustain intense galaxy-dominated star formation; above it, feedback quenches peripheral gas while fueling rapid accretion, producing quasar signatures. This bifurcation is motivated by simple energy-balance arguments linking feedback output to host halo binding energy. We apply the model to JADES-GS-z14-0, compare it with alternative explanations, and outline a phased research plan for validation.

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