Investigating the Stellar Mg/Fe Trends in Group and Cluster Central Galaxies Using the Simba-C Cosmological Simulation

Project Description:

Observations show that central galaxies in groups and clusters have higher [Mg/Fe] ratios with increasing mass, suggesting a rapid early burst of star formation dominated by Type II supernovae before delayed Type Ia enrichment. Traditional models with a fixed IMF struggle to match this trend without assuming a variable or top-heavy IMF. Recent studies (DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15924.x and DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2407.07971) propose that refining star formation histories, feedback, and chemical yields can resolve these issues. Simba-C’s updated enrichment models offer an excellent testbed.

Research Area:

Astrophysics

Project Level:

Honours

This Project Is Offered At The Following Node(s):

(UCT)(UKZN)(NWU)

Special Requirements:

The student should have experience in Python programming.