Thesis Topic: Properties of kinematically decoupled structures in Early-Type Galaxies
Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Lodovico Coccato
Abstract
The project consists in measuring the stellar kinematics, stellar populations, dynamics, and morphological properties of the kinematically decoupled structures observed in the inner regions of Early-Type Galaxies. High-quality integral field data and the status-of-the art of spectral decomposition techniques and Schwarzschild triaxial dynamical modelling will be exploited to remove the contamination of the hosting galaxy from the decoupled component. This will allow to unveil the real nature of the component, i.e. i) whether they are intrinsically decoupled structures or projection effects; and ii) whether they are inner disks embedded in the galaxy or the "top of the iceberg" of a much larger-scale structure.
The project has been awarded with 11 hours of observing time with MUSE, a second generation integral field spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope in Cile, to observe a sample of 7 Early-Type galaxies. The first part of the project consists in testing, optimizing, and measuring the capabilities of the spectral decomposition software on simulated data sets. The second part consists in reducing the MUSE spectroscopic data and applying the spectral decomposition technique. In this phase, the contributions of the decoupled component and the host galaxy will be isolated and their properties will be measured. The third part of the project consists in inferring the stellar populations properties (age, metallicity, abundance ratios, and IMF-sensitive absorption features) and the orbital structure of the decoupled component. The measurements will be discussed in the framework of several proposed formation scenarios.
The student will have the opportunity to work in a highly stimulating international environment such ESO and to collaborate with other scientists involved in the project from ESO, the University of Padova (Italy), MPA-Heidelberg (Germany), and the Hertfordshire University (UK). The student will learn i) to reduce integral field spectroscopic data with dedicated pipelines, ii) to test, implement, modify, and create data-analysis software, iii) to measure physical properties from spectra and to interpret and compare the measurements with theoretical models.
Basic knowledge of spectroscopic data reduction and IDL or Python programming are desirable.