The quenching of galaxies in massive clusters

As the Universe ages, galaxies find themselves drawn together into filaments, groups and clusters. Galaxies entering these dense environments can experience processes which ultimately lead to a dramatic change in their appearance and internal properties. This project will discover how galaxies are transformed (`quenched’) from blue star-forming spiral discs (like our own Milky Way) into passive red elliptical galaxies, through interactions with their environment.

This PhD project will be a detailed study of galaxy transformation with environment, comparing those in massive galaxy clusters to the low density “field” environment. You will use spectroscopy and imaging from Hubble Space Telescope, Very Large Telescope, Subaru telescope, WEAVE/William Herschel Telescope, James Webb Space Telescope and the revolutionary Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). The results of this project will be physically interpreted through comparison with the outputs from state-of-the-art cosmological simulations of galaxy formation.

The Lancaster Physics Department holds an Athena SWAN silver award and Institute of Physics JUNO Championship status and is strongly committed to fostering inclusion and diversity within its community.

Applicants are expected to have the equivalent of a first (1) or upper second (2.1) degree class in Physics or Astrophysics, supplemented by a relevant Master’s-level qualification. Potential applicants are invited to apply to the physics department through this link: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/physics/study/phd/ stating the title of the project and the name of the supervisor.  Please contact [email protected] for further information.