Resolved HI study of ultradiffuse galaxies

Project Description:

Since their discovery in 2015, there has been a renewed interest amongst astronomers in a special, fainter, category of low surface brightness galaxies, called the ultradiffuse galaxies (UDGs). These galaxies have stellar masses comparable to dwarf galaxies, but their optical disks can have diameters comparable to larger galaxies like the Milky Way (UDG effective radii (r_e) ranging from 1.5 kpc to >5 kpc). These galaxies are difficult to study optically because central surface brightness (in g band) is equal to or fainter than 24 magnitudes/ arcsec^2. In this project, we study the HI and dark matter properties of two extended ultradiffuse galaxies. The project involves reduction and analysis of GMRT HI data. The data will yield the HI content, morphology, velocity field, and dark matter content of the galaxies and will help us understand the halo properties of the UDGs.

Research Area:

Astronomy

Project Level:

Masters

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

(NWU)

Special Requirements:

Familiarity with Python and linux environment is required.