Dust Attenuation of Lyman-Werner Feedback: Reassessing Early Super Massive Black Holes Seed Formation

Abstract: We investigate the impact of dust shielding on Lyman-Werner (LW) radiation fields and its implications for supermassive black hole (SMBH) seed formation at high redshift. Using an updated version of the GAMETE/QSOdust semi-analytical model, we implement a simple dust shielding prescription that accounts for the absorption of LW photons by dust grains. We find that even modest dust enrichment can significantly reduce the effective LW radiation field, allowing H2 cooling to persist in regions previously thought to be affected by LW feedback. This changes the conditions for seed formation, particularly for heavy seeds which require suppression of H2 cooling. Our results suggest that dust shielding extends the redshift range and volume where heavy seeds can form, and significantly alters the relative importance of different seed populations. We discuss the implications for the formation of high-redshift SMBHs and future observations.