Higher Degree by Research Application Portal

The Multiphase Astrophysics to Unveil the Virgo Environment (MAUVE) survey is a multi-facility program designed to investigate how dense environments influence galaxy evolution. By combining data from a MUSE Large Programme with ALMA observations of 40 late-type galaxies in the Virgo Cluster, MAUVE provides a detailed, multi-phase view of star formation, kinematics, and chemical enrichment within the molecular gas discs of these galaxies. A central aim of the survey is to trace the fate of the cold gas that survives in the inner regions of galaxies after cluster infall, and to understand how it evolves through different stages of environmental interaction. Leveraging high spatial resolution and multi-wavelength synergy, MAUVE seeks to deliver a time-resolved perspective on environmental quenching and establish a new benchmark for cluster galaxy studies. The program addresses the following key questions:

- Where and how does star formation shut down in cluster galaxies?

- How is the molecular gas reservoir impacted during infall?

- Do feedback processes and outflows contribute to quenching?

- How does the environment reshape galaxy dynamics and morphology?

Depending on the student’s interests and background, the PhD project will involve using the MAUVE dataset to explore one or more of these questions. There is also scope to develop innovative data analysis techniques, including applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence, to enhance the efficiency and depth of the scientific analysis.

The student will be embedded within a collaborative research team co-led by Prof. Barbara Catinella and Prof. Luca Cortese.

https://mauve.icrar.org

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a program of independent, supervised research that is assessed solely on the basis of a thesis, sometimes including a creative work component, that is examined externally. The work presented for a PhD must be a substantial and original contribution to scholarship, demonstrating mastery of the subject of interest as well as an advance in that field of knowledge. 

Visit the course webpage for full details of this course including admission requirements, course rules and the relevant CRICOS code/s.