Astronomy and Astrophysics

Research Projects


We are currently offering undergraduate and postgraduate projects in several areas in astronomy and astrophysics relating to the group's research interests:

  • Galaxies
  • Cosmology
  • Pulsars and supernovae
  • VLBI and masers
  • Radio Astronomy Instruments
  • Radio Astronomy Techniques
  • Computing

Specific project titles (and prospective supervisors) include the following:

Ph.D. projects

  • Star formation and Magnetic fields in Nearby Galaxies (LSS, BK)
  • HIPASS V2: An updated blind survey of the local universe (LSS, MM)
  • Pushing the redshift boundary with deep HI observations (LSS, MM)
  • Frequency Phase Transfer to calibrate Low Frequency Arrays (MR, RD)
  • Galaxy Finding (LSS)
  • Hidden supernovae and supernova hosts (SDR, LSS)
  • Graphics Processor Units for Astronomy (LSS, RD)
  • Sparse Aperture Arrays (LSS)
  • The Epoch of Reionization (LSS)
  • Ionospheric Propagation (LSS, RD)
  • Centaurus A: the nearest Active Galaxy (IF, PJQ, LSS)
  • Studies of the Polarisation of Southern AGNs with VLBI (RD, MR)

Honours/Vacation projects

  • Proper motions of water masers with VLBI (MR)
  • The clustering of Galaxies and Quasars (LSS)
  • The Velocity Function (LSS, MM)
  • The lumpiness of dark matter (PJQ)
  • The Unusual Companion of NGX 7531 (LSS, PJQ)
  • The Tully-Fisher relation for Edge-on Galaxies (MM)
  • Space Observatories and the Origin of Infrared Dust Emission (MM)
  • The Distributed FX correlator (RD)
  • Methanol Maser Polarisation (RD)
  • Proper Motion of PSR1706-44 (RD)
  • The Foreground of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LSS)
  • Space VLBI observations of M87 (RD)
Please contact us for further details on the above, and other, proposals.

Cosmic Web

A simulation of hydrogen gas in the later stages of the evolving Universe. The light regions correspond to neutral hydrogen; the remainder is ionized.
Credit: Steve Furlanetto et al.