Search

We present our outreach program, the "Thailand-UK Python+Astronomy Summer School" (ThaiPASS), a collaborative project comprising UK and Thai institutions and assess its impact and possible application to schools in the United Kingdom. Since its inception in 2018, the annual ThaiPASS has trained around 60 Thai high-school students in basic data handling skills using Python in the context of various astronomy topics, using current research from the teaching team. Our impact assessment of the 5 day summer schools shows an overwhelmingly positive response from students in both years, with over 80% of students scoring the activities above average in all activities but one. We use this data to suggest possible future improvements. We also discuss how ThaiPASS may inspire further outreach and engagement activities within the UK and beyond.

We produce a kinematic analysis of AGN-hosting cluster galaxies from a sample of 33 galaxy clusters selected using the X-ray Clusters Database (BAX) and populated with galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 8. The 33 galaxy clusters are delimited by their relative intensity of member galaxy substructuring as a proxy to core merging to derive two smaller sub-samples of 8 dynamically active (merging) and 25 dynamically relaxed (non-merging) states. The AGN were selected for each cluster sub-sample by employing the WHAN diagram to the strict criteria of log10([N  ii ]/H α) ≥ −0.32 and EWH α ≥ 6 Å, providing pools of 70 mergings and 225 non-merging AGN sub-populations. By co-adding the clusters to their respective dynamical states to improve the signal-to-noise ratio of our AGN sub-populations we find that merging galaxy clusters on average host kinematically active AGN between 0–1.5 r 200 as r 200 → 0, where their velocity dispersion profile (VDP) presents a significant deviation from the non-AGN sub-population VDP by ≳3 σ. This result is indicative that the AGN-hosting cluster galaxies have recently coalesced on to a common potential. Further analysis of the composite distributions illustrates non-merging AGN-hosting sub-populations have, on average, already been accreted and predominantly lie within backsplash regions of the projected phase-space. This suggests merging cluster dynamical states hold relatively younger AGN sub-populations kinematically compared with those found in non-merging cluster dynamical states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compile two samples of cluster galaxies with complimentary hydrodynamic and N -body analysis using flash code to ascertain how their differing populations drive their rotational profiles and to better understand their dynamical histories. We select our main cluster sample from the X-ray Galaxy Clusters Database (BAX), which are populated with Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) galaxies. The BAX clusters are tested for the presence of substructures, acting as proxies for core mergers, culminating in sub-samples of eight merging and 25 non-merging galaxy clusters. An additional sample of 12 galaxy clusters with known dumbbell components is procured using galaxy data from the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) to compare against more extreme environments. BAX clusters of each sample are stacked on to a common RA–Dec. space to produce rotational profiles within the range of 0.0–2.5 r 200. Merging stacks possess stronger core rotation at ≲0.5 r 200 primarily contributed by a red galaxy sub-population from relaxing core mergers; this is alongside high rotational velocities from blue galaxy sub-populations, until they mix and homogenize with the red sub-populations at ∼ r 200, indicative of an infalling blue galaxy sub-population with interactive mixing between both sub-populations at ≳ r 200. flash code is utilized to simulate the merger phase between two originally independent clusters and test the evolution of their rotational profiles. Comparisons with the dumbbell clusters leads to the inference that the peculiar core rotations of some dumbbell clusters are the result of the linear motions of core galaxies relaxing on to the potential during post second infall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of the kinematics of a sample of 14 galaxy clusters via velocity dispersion profiles (VDPs), compiled using cluster parameters defined within the X-Ray Galaxy Clusters Database (BAX) cross-matched with data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We determine the presence of substructure in the clusters from the sample as a proxy for recent core mergers, resulting in 4 merging and 10 non-merging clusters to allow for comparison between their respective dynamical states. We create VDPs for our samples and divide them by mass, colour, and morphology to assess how their kinematics respond to the environment. To improve the signal-to-noise ratio our galaxy clusters are normalized and co-added to a projected cluster radius at 0.0–2.5 r 200. We find merging cluster environments possess an abundance of a kinematically active (rising VDP) mix of red and blue elliptical galaxies, which is indicative of infalling substructures responsible for pre-processing galaxies. Comparatively, in non-merging cluster environments galaxies generally decline in kinematic activity as a function of increasing radius, with bluer galaxies possessing the highest velocities, likely as a result of fast infalling field galaxies. However, the variance in kinematic activity between blue and red cluster galaxies across merging and non-merging cluster environments suggests galaxies exhibit differing modes of galaxy accretion on to a cluster potential as a function of the presence of a core merger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]