NORTH-East based scientists believe they could have found a way of discovering the origins of supermassive black holes formed around 13 billion years ago.

Researchers at Durham University’s Institute for Computational Cosmology have been running huge simulations of the universe which they say could provide clues about what caused the first black holes and where they formed.

Their research is focused on gravitational waves, which they say could reveal the seeds of the first supermassive black holes - the largest type of black hole found at the centre of almost all known galaxies.

They have been running simulations as part of the EAGLE project to predict the rate at which gravitational waves caused by collisions between the monster black holes might be detected.

The amplitude and frequency of these waves could reveal the initial mass of the seeds from which the first black holes grew since they were formed 13 billion years ago and provide further clues about what caused them and where they formed, the researchers say.

PhD student and lead author Jaime Salcido said: “Understanding more about gravitational waves means that we can study the Universe in an entirely different way.

“These waves are caused by massive collisions between objects with a mass far greater than our sun.

“By combining the detection of gravitational waves with simulations we could ultimately work out when and how the first seeds of supermassive black holes formed.”

Co- author Professor Richard Bower added: “Black holes are fundamental to galaxy formation and are thought to sit at the centre of most galaxies, including our very own Milky Way.

“Discovering how they came to be where they are is one of the unsolved problems of cosmology and astronomy.

“Our research has shown how space based detectors will provide new insights into the nature of supermassive black holes.”

Gravitational waves, which were predicted 100 years ago by Albert Einstein as part of his theory of general relativity, were detected for the first time in February.

The research is due to be presented at the Royal Astronomical Society’s National Astronomy Meeting, held in Nottingham, later today [Monday].