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Black Hole

Lensing of space time around a black hole. At Oxford we study black holes observationally and theoretically on all size and time scales - it is some of our core work.

Credit: ALAIN RIAZUELO, IAP/UPMC/CNRS. CLICK HERE TO VIEW MORE IMAGES.

Adrianne Slyz

Professor of Astrophysics

Sub department

  • Astrophysics

Research groups

  • Beecroft Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
Adrianne.Slyz@physics.ox.ac.uk
Telephone: 01865 (2)83013
Denys Wilkinson Building, room 555D
  • About
  • Publications

The emergence and ionizing feedback of Pop III.1 stars as progenitors for supermassive black holes

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Oxford University Press 542:2 (2025) 1532-1543

Authors:

Mahsa Sanati, Jonathan C Tan, Julien Devriendt, Adrianne Slyz, Sergio Martin-Alvarez, Matteo la Torre, Benjamin Keller, Maya A Petkova, Pierluigi Monaco, Vieri Cammelli, Jasbir Singh, Matthew Hayes

Abstract:

Recent observations by James Webb Space Telescope reveal an unexpectedly abundant population of rapidly growing supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in the early Universe, underscoring the need for improved models for their origin and growth. Employing new full radiative transfer hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy formation, we investigate the local and intergalactic feedback of SMBH progenitors for the Population III.1 (Pop III.1) scenario, i.e. efficient formation of supermassive stars from pristine, undisturbed dark matter minihaloes. Our cosmological simulations capture the R-type expansion phase of these Pop III.1 stars, with their H-ionizing photon luminosities of generating H ii regions that extend deep into the intergalactic medium, reaching comoving radii of . We vary both the Pop III.1 ionization flux and cosmological formation environments, finding the former regulates their final , whereas the latter is more important in setting their formation redshift. We use the results from our radiation-hydrodynamics simulations to estimate the cosmic number density of SMBHs, , expected from Pop III.1 progenitors. We find , consistent with the results inferred from recent observations of the local and high-redshift universe. Overall, this establishes Pop III.1 progenitors as viable candidates for the formation of the first SMBH, and emphasizes the importance of exploring heavy mass seed scenarios.
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The Emergence and Ionizing Feedback of Pop III.1 Stars as Progenitors for Supermassive Black Holes

(2025)

Authors:

Mahsa Sanati, Jonathan C Tan, Julien Devriendt, Adrianne Slyz, Sergio Martin-Alvarez, Matteo la Torre, Benjamin Keller, Maya A Petkova, Pierluigi Monaco, Vieri Cammelli, Jasbir Singh, Matthew Hayes
More details from the publisher

Impact of Cosmic Ray-driven Outflows on Lyman-$α$ Emission in Cosmological Simulations

(2025)

Authors:

Taysun Kimm, Julien Devriendt, Francesco Rodriguez Montero, Adrianne Slyz, Jeremy Blaizot, Harley Katz, Beomchan Koh, Hyunmi Song
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Cosmic reflections I: the structural diversity of simulated and observed low-mass galaxy analogues

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Oxford University Press 541:2 (2025) 1831-1850

Authors:

G Martin, AE Watkins, Y Dubois, J Devriendt, S Kaviraj, D Kim, K Kraljic, I Lazar, FR Pearce, S Peirani, C Pichon, A Slyz, SK Yi

Abstract:

Dwarf galaxies serve as powerful laboratories for investigating the underlying physics of galaxy evolution including the impact of baryonic feedback processes and external environmental influences. We compare the visual and structural properties of dwarf galaxies in ultra-deep HSC–SSP imaging of the COSMOS field with those measured from realistic HSC-like synthetic observations of dwarfs generated by the Illustris TNG50 and NewHorizon simulations. Using Sérsic profile fitting and non-parametric morphological metrics (Gini, , asymmetry, and concentration), we evaluate the diversity of structural properties in observed and simulated galaxies. Our analysis shows that NewHorizon and TNG50 galaxies lie at opposite extremes of observed structural trends: NewHorizon produces diffuse, extended galaxies with shallow Sérsic indices, while TNG50 yields compact, concentrated systems with steep indices. Both simulations reproduce observed structural trends more closely at higher stellar masses () but fail to capture the full diversity of COSMOS dwarfs at lower masses. Non-parametric metrics further show that NewHorizon galaxies exhibit more uneven, clumpy light distributions while TNG50 galaxies have smoother but excessively concentrated profiles. These structural differences reflect underlying differences in their physical prescriptions and are likely driven by differing approaches to ISM gas physics, supernova feedback and star formation in addition to differences in numerical resolution. Our findings highlight the unique power of low-mass galaxies to constrain differences in simulation physics, especially star formation and feedback prescriptions. Upcoming surveys from facilities like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and Euclid will enable more rigorous comparisons with simulations, offering deeper insights into the physical processes shaping galaxy evolution.
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Jellyfish Galaxies in Magnetic Fields: Insights from Numerical Simulations

(2025)

Authors:

Jaehyun Lee, Taysun Kimm, Jà rà my Blaizot, Julien Devriendt, Sergio Martin-Alvarez, Jinsu Rhee, Maxime Rey, Adrianne Slyz

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