Searching for the Ionised CGM around M31

Project Description:

The circumgalactic medium (CGM) is the gas beyond the main body of a galaxy extending out to the virial radius. The CGM is mostly ionised and the repository of the bulk of the baryons in a galaxy. Unfortunately, because of the low densities, large extent, and ionised state it is extremely hard to study in detail. The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is the closest large spiral galaxy to the Milky Way and, hence, the ideal target for studying the CGM and unmatched sensitivity and resolution. For this project, the student will use archival data to search for the signatures of the magneto-ionised plasma in the CGM of M31, and, if present, try to map the distribution of the CGM.

Research Area:

Astronomy

Project Level:

Honours

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

(UCT)

Special Requirements:

The student should have experience in programming in Python and, ideally, with the astropy module.