Supervisor: Oliver Hahn (Department of Astrophysics, Department of Mathematics)

Funding Situation: supervisor has secured funding

Project outline: Detailed observations of the distribution of galaxies, the properties of galaxy clusters, and the high-redshift intergalactic medium in current and next-generation multi-wavelength surveys (ranging from radio wavelengths to optical and up to X-ray, and now including also gravitational waves) serve as sensitive probes of the cosmological model of our Universe. At the same time, these objects are shaped by a multitude of astrophysical processes, such as e.g. energy injection from supernovae and black holes. In order to disentangle astrophysics and cosmology, and make best use of the cosmological information, it is imperative that we increase our understanding of how astrophysical properties correlate with one another, with the cosmological environment, and their formation history over cosmic time. Cosmological simulations that include astrophysical/baryonic processes play a key role in exploring and establishing these correlations.

In the context of this general research question, and taking into account interests and strengths, the potential candidate will focus on any one among the following topics:

1. using hydrodynamical cosmological simulations to study multi-wavelength observables used in cosmological surveys (e.g. galaxy clusters, Lyman-ɑ forest,...),
2. developing improved numerical techniques for the modelling of baryonic and astrophysical processes, or
3. complement simulation techniques with advanced data-driven statistical techniques (machine-learning) for the modelling of baryonic and/or astrophysical processes.