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A galaxy spectrum contains a wealth of information on the fundamental physical processes occurring within the galaxy. Measuring the emission lines informs us of the chemical history of galaxies and is critical to our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. This project will utilise the 3D integral field spectroscopy (IFS) data from the TYPHOON survey to measure the ionised gas in local galaxies associated in recent star-forming regions known as HII regions. It is becoming clear that ionised gas can 'leak' from their originating HII regions, and becomes what is known as the diffuse ionised gas. This project aims to understand the contribution of the diffuse ionised gas to the global ionised gas budget and the subsequent impact on the global star formation rate measurements.

You will (1) Identify and characterise the properties of HII regions, (2) Measure the emission of the ionised gas inside and outside the HII regions, (3) Measure the contribution of the emission residing outside star-forming regions to the global emission of the galaxy.

This project will allow you to gain invaluable experience learning new computer software, teach you to write your own code in Python, and develop your critical thinking skills while we advance our understanding of star formation and galaxy evolution. For more information about this potential research topic or activity, or to discuss any related research area, please contact the supervisor.