Dynamical modelling of barred galaxies

Most disc galaxies, including the Milky Way, have bar-like structures in their central regions. Their properties, such as morphology and rotation speed, reflect the evolution history and mass distribution of galaxies, and in particular, encode the interaction between the stellar disc and the dark matter halo, which indirectly constrains dark matter models (cold / warm / self-interacting /etc). Obtaining these properties from observational data is a challenging task due to the complex dynamical structure of barred galaxies; however, in recent years suitable modelling techniques have been developed, in particularly, the orbit-superposition code Forstand. At the same time, high-quality observational data from various spectroscopic surveys became available for many nearby galaxies, and are waiting to be used for model fitting.The goal of this project is to provide a first systematic study of a large number of barred galaxies, using state-of-the-art observational data in combination with advanced dynamical modelling methods. The student will tackle one of the most advanced area of galactic dynamics, building upon existing tools and adapting them to the needs of this project, and will lead the dynamical analysis effort in an international collaboration involving several cutting-edge surveys and cosmological simulations.

You will need to meet the minimum entry requirements for our Physics PhD programme.

Programming experience in Python and some background in astronomy are desirable.

Open to candidates who pay UK/home rate fees. See UKCISA for further information.