Probing the nuclear activity of radio AGN in the Boötes field

Project Description:

Radio galaxies (RGs) are a subclass of radio-loud AGN in which the accreting supermassive black hole releases energy into the host galaxy environment and ambient medium via relativistic jets. An interesting class of RGs arises when the central engine is subject to intermittent phases of activity and quiescence, that constitute the AGN life cycle. This project uses wide-field radio continuum surveys and publicly available source catalogues to systematically search for remnant and restarted radio source populations in the LoTSS Boötes Diep Field. The integrated radio spectra of the sources are built to help reconstruct the history of the AGN activity. Radio spectral criteria (e.g. spectral index) combined with visual inspection of the radio emission will be used to classify the nuclear activity of the radio sources, i.e. active vs. quiescent vs. restarted.

Research Area:

Astronomy

Project Level:

Masters

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

(UCT)

Special Requirements:

Familiarity with Python and any other programming language. Familiarity with radio astronomy software such as CARTA.