Thesis

Estimating galaxy cluster properties using Hierarchical Bayesian Models

• Call:

  FCT / IDPASC call 2012

• Academic Year:

  2012 /2013

• Domain:

  Cosmology

• Supervisor:

  Pedro Viana

• Co-Supervisor:

• Institution:

  Universidade do Porto

• Host Institution:

  Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto

• Abstract:

  Clusters of galaxies are the largest gravitationally bound structure in the Universe. Their properties shed light not only on the physical processes that have been responsible for the formation and evolution of the large-scale structures in the Universe, but also on its overall dynamics. It is for this reason that clusters of galaxies have been identified within the context of the ESA mission EUCLID, to be launched in 2019, as one of the probes that has greatest potential in helping identify the physical reason why the Universe is now in a state of accelerated expansion. This project will contribute to this aim through the development of methods to be applied to EUCLID data, which make use of the properties of clusters of galaxies. In particular, it would be interesting to determine to what extent data on clusters of galaxies acquired by other means, for example through the ESA X-ray observatory XMM-Newton, could enhance the power of such methods. CAUP is an affiliated institute of the EUCLID Consortium. It will be actively involved both in the pre-launch development of the EUCLID mission and in the post-launch exploitation of the EUCLID data. It is expected that the student will get involved in the activity of the Euclid Science Working Group on Clusters.