The X-ray properties of clusters of galaxies

Clusters of galaxies are the largest bound structures in the Universe, consisting of thousands of galaxies, X-ray emitting plasma, and are dominated by dark matter.

X-ray observation provide a powerful way to constrain cosmological parameters using galaxy clusters, and to understand the astrophysical processes that drive the evolution of clusters and their galaxies.

In this project we will study galaxy clusters using X-ray observations from facilities such as Chandra, XMM-Newton and the new eROSITA X-ray survey.

Our aims will be to: (i) improve the techniques used for measuring the masses of these huge cosmic structures; (ii) use advanced statistical techniques to quantify the contamination of X-ray samples of clusters by active galactic nuclei; and (iii) use new approaches to minimise the impact of selection biases on determinations of the properties of galaxy clusters.

This project is well-suited to applicants with good Python coding skills and familiarity with statistical techniques, with the enthusiasm to develop these further while exploring the X-ray view of clusters of galaxies.