Dr. Omaira González-Martín from the Institute of Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics (IRyA) at UNAM Campus Morelia will receive the 2022 Marcos Moshinsky research professorship, awarded annually by the Institute of Physics at UNAM and the Marcos Moshinsky Foundation to young researchers from the areas of physics, mathematics and chemical-biological sciences to develop a research project in their areas of interest.
“It is an honor to receive this award”, mentioned Dr. González-Martín in an interview. “I represent many facets of myself: I am the student who learned to love science from her supervisors, among many other things. I am also the postdoctoral researcher who has been developing work networks in various places. All these collaborators are my great astronomical family. With them I forged my scientific interests and I know that they are happy about this award that in some way also recognizes their work”.
The researchers selected to receive this professorship must have proven achievements and at the same time a wide potential for growth in their area. Such is the case of Dr. Omaira González-Martín who joined UNAM in 2014, where she founded and consolidated the research group on Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), which she continues to lead, and that includes young researchers and graduate students.
“Now I am the researcher to whom IRyA gave the opportunity to create her own research group 8 years ago. These recognitions are important for the institution and through this I return my gratitude for the opportunities it has offered me,” said Dr. González-Martín, who also commented that “IRyA is a reference in world astronomy, thanks to the researchers who created it 20 years ago and who have made important advances in their area. Now it is up to us younger ones to maintain those high standards.”
Regarding what it means to receive this recognition, Dr. González-Martín stated that it is “a way of making our work visible to continue attracting talent to IRyA. Also, we show our students that constant work is rewarded", and added: "This type of recognition is also special for us researchers because it helps us explain to our families what perhaps we cannot explain in any other way: No one comes after us nor does anyone force us to dedicate so much time to our work. We are just happy understanding something that no one ever understood before.”
The active heart of galaxies
The project for which Dr. Omaira González-Martín will receive the Marcos Moshinsky professorship is focused on her research area: the study of galactic nuclei when they go through a stage known as activity. In these stages, the black hole in the center of a galaxy consumes nearby material, increasing its mass significantly, that is, it becomes "heavier".
“In this project we are going to study the evolution of gas and dust active galactic nuclei to understand how this cycle of activity occurs. This is essential to understand the evolution of galaxies because we believe that activity starts when galaxies merge. To do this we will use large astronomical facilities, including satellites at the frontier of science such as the JWST infrared space telescope and the XRISM X-ray telescope, and we will create new models to explain the complexity of the observations.”
Dr. Omaira González-Martín’s career
Dr. Omaira González-Martín obtained her degree in physics from the University of La Laguna, Spain, and her PhD in astrophysics from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC) and the University of Granada. She did postdoctoral research at the University of Leicester, the University of Crete and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. She has been a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) since 2014.
She studies active galactic nuclei, principally in the Local Universe. In particular, she researches the properties of dust associated with these galaxies using advanced statistical techniques applied to large collections of observational data at mid-infrared and X-ray wavelengths.
Currently, Dr. González-Martín is the head of postgraduate studies in the Institute for Radioastronomy and Astrophysics (IRyA) and organizes the AGN group in the institute. In 2021 she was awarded the Reconocimiento Distinción Universidad Nacional para Jóvenes Académicas (RDUNJA) in the area of research in the exact sciences.
About IRyA, UNAM
The Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica (IRyA), or Institute for Radioastronomy and Astrophysics is an academic unit at UNAM, Campus Morelia, Mexico. We perform high-level and high-impact research in the areas of interstellar medium, star formation, evolved stars, high energy astrophysics, Galactic dynamics and structure, extragalactic astronomy and cosmology. We contribute to the education of high-level human resources through a postgraduate program, and we have close contact with society through diverse outreach programs.
If you are interested in our Institute, visit the English version of our webpage, www.irya.unam.mx/web/en
Media contact:
Dr. René A. Ortega Minakata
Outreach and Science Communication
IRyA UNAM Campus Morelia
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Text: IRyA UNAM
Announcement of Marcos Moshinsky honorees (in Spanish):
http://www.fmm.fisica.unam.mx/ediciones.php
https://www.gaceta.unam.mx/estimular-a-cientificos-es-importante-en-estos-tiempos/