Speaker
Description
Supermassive black holes (SMBHs), if formed in the early Universe, can significantly influence structure formation even when they account for only a small fraction of the dark matter. Due to their discrete nature, primordial SMBHs generate an additional contribution to the standard matter power spectrum, enhancing the abundance of dark matter halos and, consequently, the cosmic star formation rate. At the same time, accretion onto SMBHs can inject energy into the surrounding gas, heating it and thereby suppressing star formation. We study the interplay between these competing effects by modifying the matter power spectrum and incorporating SMBH accretion feedback, and investigate their consequences for star formation and the reionization history across a broad range of SMBH masses.