Higher Degree by Research Application Portal

The initial mass function of stars (IMF) is one of the most fundamental function in astronomy. Recent observational studies of galaxies and star clusters in nearby and distance universe have found the the IMF could be quite different in galaxies at different times.  However, previous models of galaxies formation used a fixed standard IMF, which is now found to be unrealistic.  This project aims to investigate how a possibly variable IMF can influence galaxy formation and evolution using the state-of-the-art supercomputer simulations of galaxies and star clusters with a variable IMF. This project therefore, for the first time, will reveal how various physical properties of galaxies and star clusters, such as their dynamical and chemical properties, can be influenced by variable IMFs. Also, this project will propose a new theoretical model for IMF variations in our universe.

RTP

Kenji Bekki: kenji.bekki@uwa.edu.au

Applicants should have Master or Honour degrees.

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. 

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