Speaker
Description
My MSc project aims to determine the dynamical state of approximately 30 Sunyaev–Zel’dovich-selected galaxy clusters that are part of the MeerKAT Exploration of Relics, Giant Halos, and Extragalactic Radio Sources (MERGHERS) survey. Understanding the dynamical state of a cluster is essential for correctly characterising diffuse radio emission such as halos, relics, and mini-halos which is directly influenced by merger activity, turbulence, and large-scale shocks in the intracluster medium. Since the MERGHERS sample is selected from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope DR5 catalogue and is therefore independent of dynamical state, a detailed assessment of each system is crucial for interpreting the presence or absence of diffuse emission and for tracing its evolution across cosmic time.
The project uses existing multiwavelength observations, focusing primarily on X-ray imaging obtained with eROSITA, XMM-Newton, and Chandra, which provide key diagnostics for identifying disturbances, substructures, cool cores, and signatures of recent or ongoing mergers. These X-ray data are complemented by optical density maps derived from Dark Energy Survey photometry, allowing a more complete view of the galaxy distribution and the large-scale environment. Using established morphological indicators and dynamical state metrics, each cluster is classified as relaxed, merging, or disturbed.
| Stream | Science or Engineering |
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