Thesis Supervisors: Evanthia Hatziminaoglou
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Abstract
Central regions of galaxies host a wide variety of structures and elements, making them the most intriguing parts of the Universe. It is in these regions that we observe the densest dust clouds, the most intense star forming complexes, and the interplay between the extremely strong gravitational forces and the most efficient mass-energy conversion mechanisms known to mankind. Not all these structures are seen in all galaxies, and to date a concise picture of the detailed processes that lead to the formation and evolution of each structure is missing.
The purpose of the current project is to focus on one particular aspect unveiling the interplay between inflow of material onto a supermassive black hole in a galaxy, and the amount of outflowing material/radiation that is "ejected" from the vicinity of the central supermassive black hole. We have ample observational evidence that there is a delicate balance between these two processes, however, we have no constraints for when and how an equilibrium is reached.
We will be using a combination of multi-wavelength observations to quantify these in and out flows and at the core of the analysis will lie the highly competitive ALMA data that allows us to directly measure the inflow rates. The data will be analysed following three steps:
б 1) Analyse multi-wavelength data for selected galaxies to describe and quantify the different physical phenomena associated with outflows from their central region. All the data are already reduced, so the student's work will focus on the application of different methods to understand the physics of the observed phenomena.
б 2) Develop and use analytic formulations for the derivation of a key dynamical parameter of motions of the interstellar medium, to model the complementary three-dimensional observations of the central regions and to quantify the inflowб of material.
б 3) Compare the amount of matter/energy outflow and inflow, to study the physical processes that govern these processes and their interplay.
The project aims a building a unique and attractive set of skills including analysis of multi-wavelength observations carried out with Spitzer, Herschel and Hubble space telescopes, ESO telescopes, and the ALMA Observatory. Along the way, the student will also build a good expertise on Spectral Energy Distribution Fitting, galaxy dynamics and analytic formulations that complement numerical simulations of galaxy formation and evolution. A moderate background in astronomy together with strong mathematical skills (in particular in differential equations) is desirable to achieve maximum gain.