Study of bending waves in MHONGOOSE galaxies

Project Description:

Bending of galactic discs produces vertical perturbations such as warps and higher-order bending modes, often referred to as vertical corrugations. While large-scale warps are commonly observed, detecting small-amplitude corrugations in nearby galaxies remains challenging, particularly for systems that are not viewed edge-on. Simulations predict that such bending modes also produce characteristic harmonic signatures in the line-of-sight velocity field, providing a potential kinematic tracer of vertical disc perturbations. Previous work has identified such signatures in H I discs of nearby spiral galaxies. This project aims to extend these studies by investigating vertical corrugations in nearby southern galaxies using the unprecedented sensitivity of MeerKAT H I observations, primarily from the MHONGOOSE survey.

Research Area:

Astronomy

Project Level:

Masters

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

(UCT)

Special Requirements:

A background in astrophysics or related coursework is mandatory. The assigned student will be extensively using H I intensity maps from MeerKAT observations; therefore, basic knowledge of radio interferometry and the 21 cm line emission is preferred. A decent knowledge of Python is also mandatory, as the student will use several Python-based codes during the analysis. Familiarity with astronomical software such as CARTA will be an advantage.