This success comes from an exceptionally competitive selection process, in which only one in nine proposals were successful.

Houda is a PhD student in the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Physics. Her proposal was prepared in collaboration with GATOS, an international team of experts studying nearby supermassive black holes using JWST. It was also supported by the AGN group at Newcastle University, including astrophysicists David Rosario, Chris Harrison, Tiago Costa, Vicky Fawcett, Devang Liya and Steph Campbell.

Why dust matters

The awarded proposal, titled ‘Dust in shocks: the missing link in AGN feedback’ will enable pioneering research on how dust survives in the presence of shocks. Such shocks, generated by powerful jets from active supermassive black holes, are believed to be the main culprit of dust destruction. "When dust grains encounter shocks, they sputter under the extreme heat, releasing refractory elements such as iron previously trapped within them," explained Houda. "However," she continued, "our recent findings, published last summer show that dust can coexist with these shocks and may even be heated by them".

The presence of dust in shocks raises many questions: How does dust survive in such extreme conditions? Could this be seen in other systems too? and what does this tell us about the impact that supermassive black holes have on their galaxies? To answer this, the team has secured approximately 14 hours of JWST observing time, allowing them to study dust and shocks in four nearby supermassive black holes in unprecedented detail.

"It's incredibly thrilling to be pursuing my PhD in this JWST era —there’s never been a better time to study dust!" said Houda.

See also:

JWST unveils the structure of dust near a supermassive black hole

James Webb Space Telescope shines light on a mysteriously dusty supermassive black hole