Unveiling the low-surface-brightness Universe with new deep-wide surveys: the role of mergers in driving galaxy evolution
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Hertfordshire
Department Name: School of Physics, Astronomy and Maths
Abstract
Merging is the principal driver of galaxy evolution, triggering star-formation episodes, building black holes and inducing morphological transformations. Since low-mass galaxies outnumber their massive counterparts, galaxy assembly proceeds primarily via mergers with unequal mass ratios ('minor mergers'). However, while clearly fundamental, minor merging remains virtually unexplored, as the low-surface-brightness tidal features they produce are invisible in today's surveys. A complete understanding of merging (and therefore galaxy evolution) requires exploration of the low-surface-brightness Universe, e.g. using a telescope like LSST.
While LSST and other facilities will usher in a new era of low-surface-brightness astronomy, the algorithms required to detect/characterize low-surface-brightness tidal features need to be developed. The student will use state-of-the-art cosmological simulations (e.g. Horizon-AGN) to create mock galaxy images, build/train algorithms on these images, test them on available precursor datasets and build low-surface-brightness pipelines for facilities like LSST, EUCLID, DES etc. He/she will sit at the centre of a collaborative network that is led by Hertfordshire, with nodes at Princeton, Oxford and the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris. The student will gain expertise in key theoretical and observational techniques and write benchmark papers on low-surface-brightness science and the role of mergers in galaxy evolution.
While LSST and other facilities will usher in a new era of low-surface-brightness astronomy, the algorithms required to detect/characterize low-surface-brightness tidal features need to be developed. The student will use state-of-the-art cosmological simulations (e.g. Horizon-AGN) to create mock galaxy images, build/train algorithms on these images, test them on available precursor datasets and build low-surface-brightness pipelines for facilities like LSST, EUCLID, DES etc. He/she will sit at the centre of a collaborative network that is led by Hertfordshire, with nodes at Princeton, Oxford and the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris. The student will gain expertise in key theoretical and observational techniques and write benchmark papers on low-surface-brightness science and the role of mergers in galaxy evolution.
Publications
Jackson R
(2019)
Massive spheroids can form in single minor mergers
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Studentship Projects
Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ST/R504786/1 | 30/09/2017 | 31/01/2022 | |||
1957027 | Studentship | ST/R504786/1 | 30/09/2017 | 28/02/2021 | Ryan Jackson |
Description | LSST:UK Travel funding |
Amount | £1,694 (GBP) |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2019 |
End | 08/2019 |
Description | LSST:UK Travel funding |
Amount | £872 (GBP) |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 02/2020 |
End | 02/2020 |
Description | RAS Grant |
Amount | £890 (GBP) |
Organisation | Royal Astronomical Society |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2018 |
End | 08/2018 |
Description | Horizon project |
Organisation | Paris Institute of Astrophysics |
Country | France |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | We have written/are in the process of writing research papers using the simulation provided by the collaboration. |
Collaborator Contribution | They have provided me with 2 state of the art cosmological simulations with which I am conducting research for my award. |
Impact | All my research to date has involved this collaboration. |
Start Year | 2017 |