PhD Studentship: Revealing Quasar Host Galaxies with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Supervisory Team: Prof. Manda Banerji

PhD Supervisor: Manda Banerji

Project description:

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory is a ground-breaking astronomical facility due to start survey operations in 2025. The 10-year Legacy Survey of Space Time (LSST) conducted with Rubin will revolutionise astronomy by mapping the entire Southern sky every few days and generating a petabyte scale dataset containing billions of astronomical sources. Within the rich LSST dataset there will be millions of active galactic nuclei powered by accretion onto supermassive black holes.

In the local Universe supermassive black hole mass is correlated with the stellar bulge mass of the host galaxy but is this also true at high-redshifts? What are the mechanisms by which supermassive black holes and their host galaxies assemble their mass and what role do mergers play in their assembly? It has been challenging to answer these questions because it is difficult to see the starlight within the host galaxies of rapidly growing black holes or quasars due to the glare of the bright quasar, which outshines the host galaxy by several orders of magnitude. LSST's sensitivity to low surface brightness features and image quality makes quasar host galaxies accessible via ground-based imaging. This becomes particularly true in the case of quasars enshrouded by dust as the dust dims the quasar light. Dusty quasars account for a significant fraction of black hole activity in the early Universe and could be a critical phase in the evolution of all massive galaxies.

The goals of the PhD will be to systematically characterise the multi-wavelength properties of quasar host galaxies as a function of redshift, luminosity and dust obscuration using imaging surveys. You will benefit from the deep expertise in our research group on astronomical image processing as well as getting the opportunity to work with the first science images from LSST.

You will be part of a vibrant and growing research team at Southampton including PhD students and postdoctoral researchers exploiting multi-wavelength data to understand galaxy formation. As part of the wider team, you will explore synergies between LSST and wide-field spectroscopic surveys like 4MOST and VLT-MOONS as well as space-based imaging from Euclid. The project will give you an opportunity to be part of the international LSST Science Collaborations and to work with scientists in the UK, Europe, USA and Chile. You will confront “big data” challenges and develop a range of transferrable skills related to the analysis of large, complex and multi-variate datasets. 

Entry Requirements

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

Closing date: 31 January 2025. 

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 by clicking the 'Apply' button, above. 

Select programme type (Research), 2025/26, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, next page “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

Contact email: feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk

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