Maria Koller

PhD thesis: TBC

My PhD research project focuses on the metallicity scaling relations of high redshift galaxies. I am conducting a partial correlation coefficient and random forest analysis to investigate the correlation between the galaxies’ gas-phase metallicities and other parameters such as the velocity dispersion, gravitational potential, mass, and star formation rate. Currently, I am using a large dataset of the local universe from the SDSS and MaNGA surveys to establish my methodology. The goal is to apply these methods to high redshift data from the James Webb Space Telescope.

Who or what inspired you to pursue your research interests?

My interest in astrophysics started at a young age when I was captivated by the beautiful night sky and reading books about space. This fascination grew during my bachelor's thesis, where I used IFU spectroscopy data to study the ionizing properties of star-forming galaxies. I specifically enjoyed producing meaningful results by applying different codes and tools. This deep interest in pursuing research in extragalactic astronomy, especially the baryon cycle of galaxies, only strengthened during my master's thesis. The combination of early interest and hands-on experience drives me to pursue my research with dedication and enthusiasm.