Supermassive black holes: re-writing the history of the universe
Supermassive black holes are, as the name suggests, truly colossal - millions, and in some cases billions, of times more massive than our Sun. Nestled at the centres of large galaxies, including our own Milky Way, they play a crucial role in shaping the growth and evolution of these vast cosmic structures. Yet, despite their importance, their origins and the reasons behind their immense size remain some of the universe’s greatest mysteries.
With new data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) revealing an unexpectedly high number of these black holes in the early universe, researchers are racing to understand how and when they formed. This surge in scientific inquiry provides the backdrop for a transformative period in astrophysics research at the University of Hertfordshire, where the recipients of three prestigious external fellowships are uncovering new insights.
Dr Sophie Koudmani holds a Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Research Fellowship. As one of only eight recipients across the UK, Sophie joined the University of Hertfordshire from the University of Cambridge in October 2024 to push the boundaries of astrophysical modelling
Although supermassive black holes are fundamental to galactic development, their origins, growth patterns, and feedback mechanisms remain unclear.
Dr Koudmani’s research aims to develop next-generation, multi-scale models for the energetic feedback originating from supermassive black holes and their growth.
The James Webb Space Telescope has found many more active supermassive black holes in the early Universe than predicted. Radio telescopes have detected a distinctive hum from supermassive black hole mergers, marking the first detection of gravitational waves in the supermassive regime. More sophisticated galaxy formation models than have been possible until now are required to bridge the gap and produce a better-informed understanding of these state-of-the-art observations and sharpen the aim of future surveys. This will allow predictions for upcoming electromagnetic and gravitational-wave observatories and be crucial to decipher the co-evolution of galaxies and supermassive black holes.
Dr Sophie Koudmani
Dr Koudmani’s research builds on her pioneering work on black holes in dwarf galaxies and accretion disc physics. It will be conducted in several stages from small scale simulations of individual galaxies to cosmological simulations of representative regions of the universe containing tens of thousands of galaxies, taking advantage of the latest advancements in artificial intelligence to connect different realms of the cosmos and craft a multi-scale model of the growth and feedback of supermassive black holes.
Dr Koudmani’s appointment follows that of Dr Beatriz Mingo, recipient of an Ernest Rutherford Fellowship from the Science and Technology Facilities Council. A University of Hertfordshire alumna, Dr Mingo’s research into X-ray and radio observations of active galaxies has demonstrated that black hole jets are far more common than previously thought - significantly influencing galactic evolution.
Dr Martin Bourne is a theoretical astrophysicist and UKRI Stephen Hawking Fellow based at the University of Hertfordshire’s Centre for Astrophysics Research. Dr Bourne’s work focuses on the physics of supermassive black holes and their profound influence on galaxy evolution, cosmology, and multi-messenger astronomy.
Together, these fellowships at the Centre of Astrophysics Research reflect the University’s leadership in a rapidly advancing field.
Researchers at Herts have made groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of the universe - uncovering the composition of distant galaxies, achieving the furthest-ever detection of a galaxy’s magnetic field, exploring the history of our nearest galactic neighbours, and revealing hidden stars at the heart of the Milky Way.
In addition to cutting-edge research, the University maintains one of the UK’s best-equipped teaching observatories at Bayfordbury and regularly engages in outreach with local schools and communities - bringing the mysteries of space closer to home.
Doctor Koudmani
Department of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics
Sophie Koudmani is currently an 1851 Royal Commission Fellow at the Centre for Astrophysics Research. Her research aims to unravel the physical processes governing galaxy formation, especially the interface between galaxies and their supermassive black holes. Prior to this, she held a Flatiron Research Fellowship in the Center for Computational Astrophysics at the Flatiron Institute in New York City. She received her PhD in Astronomy from the University of Cambridge, where she pioneered the theoretical modelling of black hole feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) in dwarf galaxies, advised by professors Debora Sijacki and Martin Haehnelt. She also holds a Junior Research Fellowship at St Catharine's College, Cambridge.