Unravelling Galaxy Evolution: Molecular Gas, Star Formation, and Feedback Mechanisms from the KILOGAS survey

About the Project

Galaxies are key building blocks of our universe, but we still do not fully understand the physical processes that govern their evolution. At the heart of this puzzle lies the interstellar medium (ISM)—the reservoir of gas that fuels star formation. The ability of a galaxy to turn its gas into stars is crucial in determining its future. Yet, this process remains mysterious, influenced by many factors, including feedback from supernovae and black holes, galaxy mergers, and the surrounding environment. Unraveling these complexities to understand what enhances or suppresses star formation is a key challenge in modern astrophysics.

In this PhD project, you’ll contribute to a groundbreaking new survey, KILOGAS—an ambitious project using the ALMA telescope in Chile that will revolutionize our understanding of galaxies. KILOGAS will provide unprecedented kiloparsec-scale maps of the molecular ISM of ~500 galaxies, a tenfold increase over previous studies. These galaxies also have optical integral field unit data, giving you access to a treasure trove of complementary information on the stellar and ionised gas properties of these systems.

In this project you will study properties of the gas and stars and how they relate to each other in hundreds of galaxies. You will work as part of a large international team using state-of-the-art datasets from KILOGAS and combining them with simulations and observations from world-class facilities like MeerKAT, HST, JWST, Euclid and the IRAM-30m, as required. You will explore critical science questions, including:

• What sets the morphology and distribution of the ISM in galaxies?
• What triggers and regulates star formation?
• How do active galactic nuclei (AGN) and other processes quench galaxies?
• What is the role of galaxy dynamics and stellar potential in shaping the ISM?

The typical academic requirement is a minimum of a 2:1 physics and astronomy or a relevant discipline.

Applicants whose first language is not English are normally expected to meet the minimum University requirements (e.g. IELTS 6.5 Overall with 5.5 minimum in sub-scores).

How to apply

Applicants should apply to the Doctor of Philosophy in Physics and Astronomy.

Applicants should submit an application for postgraduate study via the Cardiff University webpages including:

• your academic CV
• Your degree certificates and transcripts to date including certified translations if these are not in English
• a personal statement/covering letter
• two references, at least one of which should be academic. Your references can be emailed by the referee to physics-admissions@cardiff.ac.uk

Please note: We are do not contact referees directly for references for each applicant due to the volume of applications we receive.

In the "Research Proposal" section of your application, please specify the project title and supervisors of this project.

In the funding section, please select that you will be self-funded or include your own sponsorship or scholarship details.

Once your application is submitted, we will review it and advise you within a few weeks if you have been shortlisted for an interview.

Funding Notes

This project is offered for self-funded students only, or those with their own sponsorship or scholarship award.