Giant radio galaxies and their environments explored using radio continuum and polarisation data from ASKAP

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Supermassive black holes [SMBHs] in the centre of massive galaxies can produce powerful radio jets which affect their host galaxies as well as their surroundings. The link between SMBH jets, their host galaxies and the large-scale environment is key for understanding radio galaxy evolution. This PhD project will use excellent radio continuum and polarisation data (in hand) of GAMA23 field (Gurkan et al. 2022) collected using the Square Kilometer Array pathfinder ASKAP in conjunction with multi-wavelength data available. The student will select normal- and giant-size radio galaxies (which are amongst the largest single objects in the Universe, reaching to sizes 5 Mpc; e.g. Milky Way has a size of ~0.01 Mpc) in the GAMA23 field. The combination of radio intensity, polarimetry from ASKAP and the excellent ancillary data will give a unique opportunity to investigate the relation between the impact of radio jets onto their host galaxies and their environments for statistically meaningful samples of radio sources, and compare these with simulations (e.g. Hardcastle & Krause 2014, Hardcastle 2018). More importantly, this will allow the student to establish methods for other fields with radio data, in preparation for the biggest radio astronomy project the SKA. With this project the student will have the opportunity to develop a set of crucial skills (in coding, data fitting and radio data analysis) easily transferable to other fields/subjects.