Searching for HI Counterparts of Low Surface Brightness Galaxies in the Southern Sky

Project Description:

Deep optical imaging from the Dark Energy Survey has revealed a large population of low surface brightness galaxies (LSBGs). These LSBGs are found to be distributed widely across the southern sky, with significant clustering around nearby galaxy groups and clusters. Interestingly, the clustering appears to be stronger for red LSBGs, while blue LSBGs are more uniformly distributed. One possible explanation is that the red LSBGs reside in dense environments where processes such as gas stripping have quenched their star formation. Using HI data from the Widefield ASKAP L-band Legacy All-sky Blind surveY (WALLABY), we will study a sample of LSBGs across the southern sky to investigate their global properties. By searching for HI counterparts to these galaxies, we aim to obtain redshifts and examine their gas content, environment, and dark matter properties. These results will help improve our understanding of the nature of LSBGs and their clustering behaviour.

Research Area:

Astronomy

Project Level:

Masters

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

(NWU)

Special Requirements:

Experience with Python programming is required.