Chris Harrison will be taking on a new PhD student in October 2021.

This PhD project is about using cutting-edge astronomical observations to understand the underlying physics of how supermassive black holes impact on the evolution of galaxies.  When supermassive black holes grow to become known as “active galactic nuclei” (AGN), it is believed that they drive outflows of gas and consequently regulate the level of star formation inside their host galaxies. However, key questions remain that will be addressed in this studentship: “Through which physical processes do AGN inject energy over galaxy-wide scales?” and “Is there any observational evidence for impact upon star formation by AGN?”. 

The student will join the international team of the “Quasar Feedback Survey”, which includes observers and theorists tackling these questions. The student will perform analyses on our multi-wavelength observations of galaxies that host the most powerful AGN (called quasars), including radio observations and integral field spectroscopy. They will extract key physical quantities from the data that will then be compared to theoretical predictions. Due to the extensive data available there is plenty of flexibility in the project depending on which aspects are most appealing to the student. Some programming experience will be required for the project and previous astrophysics education would be desirable.

For more information and to find out how to apply visit findaphd.com