Tracing Origins Of Supermassive Black Holes

I work on a specialized optical system for high-resolution spectroscopy. By breaking light down into its different wavelengths, we can trace where it comes from and what it has encountered on its journey to us. The spectrum reveals a great deal about the properties and chemical composition of stars and galaxies, as well as the gas and dust clouds the light has passed through along the way. With MICADO, we will be able to study both the center of our Milky Way and some of the most distant visible galaxies.

Many people are surprised that some of the components used in instruments for analyzing light are only a few millimeters in size, despite the ELT's 39-meter primary mirror. When I first saw these components myself, I could hardly believe it. It's a striking example of how effectively the telescope can focus the collected light onto a tiny point.

Many people are also surprised by the observational data. The most distant galaxies often appear as little more than faint points of light. Yet we can still extract an astonishing amount of information from them, allowing us to look billions of years back into the universe's past.

I am particularly fascinated by two areas of research. The first is the question of how galaxies and the supermassive black holes at their centers form and evolve together. We believe that black holes have a major influence on their host galaxies and help shape their development. Observations of galaxies at different stages of their evolution allow us to better understand these connections.

The second is the search for galaxies with two supermassive black holes at their centers. Such systems could provide unique insights into the process of galaxy mergers. What makes this field so exciting to me is the combination of major advances and so many unanswered questions.

One experience that has particularly stayed with me was my very first school presentation as a university student. I had brought along a retired detector as a demonstration object, and one student asked such detailed questions about it that I eventually had to go back and look up the technical documentation myself. That experience was incredibly motivating because it showed me how valuable these events can be - not only for identifying young talent, but also for inspiring enthusiasm for science.

I had a similar experience recently at Girls' Day at MPE. The participants became so engaged in a discussion about the Big Bang that their questions eventually pushed us to the limits of our own knowledge. It reminded me very much of when I was sitting in their place, thinking to myself: That's what I want to do one day.

For me, this award is above all an opportunity to inspire more people to engage with science and to increase the visibility of women in STEM. Visibility is an important step toward normalization: the more diverse the role models we see in science and research, the more natural it becomes for young people to see themselves in these roles.

I want to use the platform that comes with this award to encourage girls and young women in particular to pursue their interests with confidence and believe in their own abilities. At the same time, the award strengthens my voice within the scientific community and gives me the opportunity to contribute more actively and sustainably, both through my research and through science communication.

Sarah Pappert is a PhD candidate in astrophysics at the TUM School of Natural Sciences and conducts research at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics. She is supervised by Prof. Dr. Reinhard Genzel and Prof. Dr. Frank Eisenhauer, who holds a TUM Distinguished Affiliated Professorship at the TUM School of Natural Sciences. Her research focuses on supermassive black holes and the development of astronomical instruments for the Extremely Large Telescope in Chile. In addition to her research, she is actively involved in science communication and is committed to encouraging girls and young women to pursue studies and careers in STEM.