About the project
In this project you'll build transparent, data-driven models that switch quenching ingredients on and off, one at a time, and test them against new data from the Euclid space telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Rubin-LSST telescope to reveal what really shuts galaxies down.
Galaxies come broadly in two main flavours: blue, star-forming discs and red, quenched systems with a prominent central bulge. The drivers behind such a dichotomy are still a matter of intense debate.
This project aims to tackle this fundamental mystery in astronomy making use of flexible and transparent, data-driven numerical models that connect observations directly to theory. You'll build and extend semi-empirical models in which galaxies grow along their host dark matter halo merger trees at the rate imposed by observed star formation rates, and central supermassive black holes grow following observed Eddington-ratio distributions and duty cycles. With such flexible tools, you'll be able to test one ingredient at a time:
- does quenching happen when a black hole reaches a threshold mass, or when the halo becomes massive enough, or after mergers and disc instabilities?
- which recipe best reproduces quenched fractions, galaxy scaling relations and bulge-to-total ratios?
Because every assumption is explicit and can be switched on or off, these models show clearly what the data demand and what they do not. Your predictions will be tested against new data from Euclid, JWST and Rubin-LSST, covering millions of galaxies, and compared with outputs from simulations such as TNG and EAGLE. If you have a creative and curious mind, this is the project for you.
The School of Physics and Astronomy is committed to promoting equality, diversity inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking flexible working patterns and those who have taken a career break. The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities, and offers a range of benefits to help ensure employees’ well-being and work-life balance. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.