PhD Studentship: High-Redshift Quasars in Next-Generation Spectroscopic Surveys

Supervisory Team: Prof. Manda Banerji

PhD Supervisor: Manda Banerji

Project description:

Quasars are among the brightest lights in our Universe and powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes.  With the advent of very large, highly multiplexed wide-field spectroscopic surveys, we are entering a golden age for studies of quasar demographics where the rest-frame ultraviolet and optical spectra can be used to characterise the accretion and outflow properties in large statistical samples extending out to the highest redshifts when the first galaxies were forming.

The largest sample of spectroscopically confirmed quasars to date comes from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), which has provided us almost a million quasar spectra out to redshifts of 6. The bright flux limit and optical wavelength coverage of SDSS however means it is not sensitive to both more distant and obscured quasars. In the former case the optical light is attenuated by dust around the quasar or in the quasar host galaxy while in the latter case it is redshifted into the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. 

As part of this PhD project you will have proprietary access to two new, state-of-the-art spectroscopic survey datasets from the 4MOST spectrograph on the ESO VISTA telescope and the MOONS spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope, which are due to begin observations in 2025. 4MOST can probe an order of magnitude deeper than SDSS and MOONS extends into the near infra-red wavelengths where the effects of dust attenuation are much less marked. As a result, they offer an unprecedented opportunity to extend the census of known quasars into the distant and obscured Universe. How many such quasars are out there? Are their physical properties similar to, or different from the well-established optically selected population from SDSS? The PhD will be observationally driven and motivated by the new findings with the 4MOST and MOONS proprietary data to which you will have access.

You will be part of a vibrant and growing research team at Southampton including PhD students and postdoctoral researchers exploiting the latest multi-wavelength surveys to understand galaxy formation. The project will give you an opportunity to join the 4MOST and/or VLT-MOONS Guaranteed Time Observation consortia and to work with scientists in the UK, Europe, USA and Chile as well as to develop new skills in spectroscopy of astronomical sources.

Entry Requirements

A very good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent).

Closing date: 31 March 2025.

Applications will be considered in the order that they are received, the position will be considered filled when a suitable candidate has been identified.

Funding: We offer a range of funding opportunities for both UK and international students, including Bursaries and Scholarships. For more information please visit PhD Scholarships | Doctoral College | University of Southampton Funding will be awarded on a rolling basis, so apply early for the best opportunity to be considered.

How To Apply

Apply online, clicking the 'Apply' button, above. 

Select programme type (Research), 2025/26, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, next page select “PhD Physics (Full time)”.

In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor: 

Manda Banerji

Applications should include:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Two reference letters
• Degree Transcripts/Certificates to date

For further information please contact: feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk

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