Magnetic fields are invisible forces that control the movement of gas in everything from galaxy clusters to the Sun.  In nearby galaxies they contribute as much to the energy budget as gas motions and yet they are not well understood.  Radio telescopes, such as the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), have a unique ability to measure the strength and direction of complex magnetic fields in galaxies.  In this project you will use new data from ASKAP to measure the strength and complexity of the magnetic fields in parts of the Magellanic System.  You will work with new tools and techniques that are under development for ASKAP to answer questions like:

• Does magnetism follow or lead the structure of galaxy interactions as traced through the interaction of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds?

• Does the magnetic field vary across the Magellanic System?  

• What determines the complexity of magnetic fields?  

No special experience is needed for this project but a knowledge of programming, especially in python, would be helpful.