Introducing the BRAHMA simulation suite: signatures of low-mass black hole seeding models in cosmological simulations

Abstract

ABSTRACT While the first “seeds” of supermassive black holes (BH) can range from $\sim 10^2-10^6 \rm ~{\rm M}_{\odot }$, the lowest mass seeds ($\lesssim 10^3~\rm {\rm M}_{\odot }$) are inaccessible to most cosmological simulations due to resolution limitations. We present our new BRAHMA simulations that use a novel flexible seeding approach to predict the $z\ge 7$ BH populations for low-mass seeds. We ran two types of boxes that model $\sim 10^3~\rm {\rm M}_{\odot }$ seeds using two distinct but mutually consistent seeding prescriptions at different simulation resolutions. First, we have the highest resolution $[9~\mathrm{Mpc}]^3$ (BRAHMA-9-D3) boxes that directly resolve $\sim 10^3~\rm {\rm M}_{\odot }$ seeds and place them within haloes with dense, metal-poor gas. Second, we have lower resolution, larger volume $[18~\mathrm{Mpc}]^3$ (BRAHMA-18-E4), and $\sim [36~\mathrm{Mpc}]^3$ (BRAHMA-36-E5) boxes that seed their smallest resolvable $\sim 10^4~\&~10^5~\mathrm{{\rm M}_{\odot }}$ BH descendants using new stochastic seeding prescriptions calibrated using BRAHMA-9-D3. The three boxes together probe key BH observables between $\sim 10^3\,\mathrm{ and}\,10^7~\rm {\rm M}_{\odot }$. The active galactic nuclei (AGN) luminosity function variations are small (factors of $\sim 2-3$) at the anticipated detection limits of potential future X-ray facilities ($\sim 10^{43}~ \mathrm{ergs~s^{-1}}$ at $z\sim 7$). Our simulations predict BHs $\sim 10-100$ times heavier than the local $M_*$ versus $M_{\mathrm{ bh}}$ relations, consistent with several JWST-detected AGN. For different seed models, our simulations merge binaries at $\sim 1-15~\mathrm{kpc}$, with rates of $\sim 200-2000$ yr−1 for $\gtrsim 10^3~\rm {\rm M}_{\odot }$ BHs, $\sim 6-60$ yr−1 for $\gtrsim 10^4~\rm {\rm M}_{\odot }$ BHs, and up to $\sim 10$ yr−1 amongst $\gtrsim 10^5~\rm {\rm M}_{\odot }$ BHs. These results suggest that Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission has promising prospects for constraining seed models.