Theses Topics
Für Studenten: Unser neues Poster mit
Angeboten für Bachelor-, Master-, Diplom- und Doktorarbeiten kann hier
heruntergeladen werden.
For students:
Our new poster for theses topics is out and can be downloaded here.
There is always more work to do in our group than people available.
Therefore do not hesitate to ask for theses topics. We offer research
problems in modern astrophysics to be tackled under supervision on all
levels, i.e. PhD, Diploma (MSc), Bachelor (BSc, called "Bakkalaureat"
in Austria).
The research fields (see Research pages) range from
Local ISM, to general evolution of ISM in star forming galaxies,
dynamics of superbubbles, turbulence in compressible media, magnetic
fields, cosmic rays, waves in plasmas, galactic halos and outflows from
galaxies (galactic fountains, galactic winds), evolution of
intergalactic medium in groups and clusters of galaxies.
The research methods we use are:
- analytical, ranging from hydrodynamics,
plasma physics, atomic physics (ionization, recombination, photon
emission and absorption from gases), high energy astrophysics
(relativistic particles, soft X-ray spectra, diffuse gamma-ray
emission) to applied mathematics, solving ordinary (ODEs) and partial
differential equations (PDEs) for specific problems, using differential
geometry and tensor calculus for solving PDEs in different metrics
- numerical, ranging from hydrodynamics and
magnetohydrodynamics to non-equilibrium ionization evolution of plasmas
(atomic physics), using Riemann solver schemes to capture shocks
The suggested theses work is mainly
theoretical and addresses fundamental astrophysical problems like:
- What is the origin of the Local Bubble into which
our solar system is embedded?
- How does our local environment evolve with time?
- Where do the local HI clouds come from?
- How does the neighbouring Loop I superbubble
evolve?
- Is there a link between evolution of Local Bubble
and Gould's Belt (a large expanding structure of stars and clouds)?
- Do thermal gas phases in the ISM really exist?
- What is the role of turbulence in ISM structure
and evolution?
- How is chemically enriched gas, generated by
supernova explosions, mixed into the ISM?
- What are the roles of thermal conduction, thermal
instability and turbulence in transferring energy and mass in the ISM?
- What are the characteristics of interstellar
turbulence?
- How do superbubbles break out of the galactic disk?
- Under which condition does the "galactic fountain"
(a gravitationally bound outflow) operate?
- How is the fountain flow modified by gas infall
(high velocity clouds)?
- How can the diffuse ionized gas (DIG) layer above
the galactic disk be maintained?
- How can soft X-ray halos in star forming galaxies
be interpreted?
- How can the highest energy particles in the
universe be accelerated to energies many orders of magnitude higher
than in any terrestrial accelerator?
- What are the maximun energies of cosmic rays to be
obtained in galaxies?
- How do cosmic ray nucleons and electrons propagate
from their sources in the ISM through the galactic disk and into the
galactic halo?
- How can the diffuse gamma-ray gradient in the
Milky Way, observed by the COS-B and EGRET satellite instruments, be
explained?
- Where does the gas in galaxy groups come from and
how does it evolve?
- What are the roles of galactic winds and ram
pressure stripping in structuring the intergalactic medium in groups
and clusters of galaxies?
- How do galactic winds evolve?
- Where does the large fraction of "metals" in
galaxies come from, and how do they mix in the intracluster medium?
- How do subclusters merge?